Why is Russia supporting Assad?

This comes after a suspected chemical attack killed 80 Syrian people in a town held by anti-Assad rebels last week. But at the moment, Russia is not dropping its support for pro-Assad forces. So how did Russia get involved in the six-year Syrian war in the first place - and why is it so important to them? read more

Russia is not supporting Assad but Syria. Russia is supporting Syria, an ally, and the right of the Syrian people to choose their leader. The reason is quite simple to understand: Russia is an ally of Syria and has a strategic military base there. read more

Russia has supporting the Assads in Syria for decades and it is one of the few countries in the Middle East that is supportive to Russia. Were the Assad regime to continue, Russia would use Assad as means to carry out their geopolitical goals in the region. read more