Russian President Vladimir Putin is again winning the respect on the international arena as he managed to offer a constructive solution for Syria, while other countries were at a loss, Stern wrote.
During the crisis in Libya, Russia repeatedly spoke about the danger of NATO’s military intervention, which could create more chaos and bring Islamists to power. And now, four years later, Libya lies in ruins, and the influence of Islamic radicals is increasing, the article said.
While Western countries are confused about what to do next, Putin is taking concrete action. And this is not only because he is willing to support his ally Bashar al-Assad, but also to prevent the spread of ISIL’s influence to the North Caucasus and the emergence of a new major threat to national security.
The newspaper stressed that Putin managed to convince the West of the need for dialogue with the Syrian president and overcome the general state of hopelessness. He also proved able to propose an action plan that would help his ally to strengthen his influence in the region, improve Russia’s reputation on the world stage and put his potential enemy ISIL to its knees.
In other words, "Putin is doing everything right — at least everything to ensure the interests of his own country," the newspaper wrote.
