All Policy Analysis by Fabrice Balanche

In this interview with the French newspaper L'Opinion, Washington Institute fellow Fabrice Balanche discusses the status of Syrian refugees inside and outside the country, as well as the Russian intervention and other recent developments. Download the PDF to read the full interview in French, or visit the L'Opinion website.

A new offensive near the key city indicates that ISIS may be racing Assad and his allies for control of northern Syria.

The PYD will not hesitate to cooperate with Damascus and Moscow in the north if Turkey and the United States continue prohibiting the unification of Kurdish enclaves.

Following Vladimir Putin's address to the UN General Assembly, a panel of Institute experts detailed the scope of Moscow's military buildup in Syria and its likely objectives and implications.

The first wave of Russian airstrikes seemed to focus on rebel areas that threaten the Assad regime's Alawite heartland, showing that Moscow is more focused on seizing the mantle in Syria's war than fighting terrorists.

In light of its large Sunni population, the coastal city and its environs are not secure for the Syrian regime, possibly explaining why Russian forces are concentrating there.