Allies and enemies take stock after ‘sudden’ fall of Assad: ‘It also came as a surprise to Putin’ | Abroad

AMSTERDAM – Was the ‘sudden’ fall of the Assad regime last weekend as unexpected as is now thought? For Moscow and Tehran, the downfall of their ally is a major setback, although they will not shed a tear for Bashar al-Assad himself. The Russian president will try to limit the damage, expects Gijs Kessler of the International Institute of Social History. “Putin is now mainly suffering reputational damage.”