[MeganC]

Will Russia back up Syria against Turkey?

[robowombat]

With words only I suspect. Russia is only at the start of trying to rebuild its conventional military capabilities. A costly and humiliating engagement with Turkey in the rough country of eastern Turkey which would also activate the NATO ‘An attack on one is an attack on all’ pledge would only make things much worse even if the NATO response was mostly press communiques.

[The Pack Knight]

Not through open warfare, but I can certainly see them providing some financial and other support in order to draw out any Turko-Syrian hostilities in order to make it more costly, both materially and politically, for Turkey. A weakened and less assertive Turkey is definitely in Russia’s core interests.