I disagree, but not entirely.
They intend to come in to Syria, fight with no mercy and send Isis running for the hills. Politically correct ROE will not be found. A war of submission is shortly at hand.
The Assad regime becomes a puppet. His corruption will be allowed to continue, for a price.
They are then strategically positioned between Iran and Israel and become the de facto arbiter of middle eastern politics.
Further, they will have effectively bypassed that Black Sea and established a Mediterranean beach head.
Then the real fun begins, they will point, in quiet tones, to their success in Syria when having ‘discussions’ with European countries, reminding them that they alone have the will to fight to win. They will paint the U.S. as soft. They will erode the confidence of europe in the ability of the US to defend them. Soon thereafter eastern europe again becomes the lamb of sacrifice for western security.
The bloc is reborn, with looser reigns, but more cash flow back to Moscow. One toe within range of the Arabian Gulf, and another fully wet in the eastern Med. The fist clenched and poised to cower eastern Europe, the Baltics, and the Slavs.
I hope to be wrong...
All Putin has been able to scrape together is a couple companies of troops and some APC’s for them and a platoon of T-90’s.
And a dozen worn out Cold War SU-24’s and Su-25’s.
This won’t end in a Russian parade.