Syrian war

Russia presses air blitz in Syria to dictate peace terms

 Moscow joined the fight in Syria to return to relevance in international diplomacy. It has succeeded by anyone's measure — and Russia hopes to use its air power to dictate the terms of a cease-fire and prospective peace talks.

Russian warplanes have helped the Syrian army make broad advances and close in on the country's biggest city, Aleppo. Meanwhile, the Western-backed opposition is fractured and weakened.

So as talk turns to a cease-fire, Syrian President Bashar Assad, Moscow's sole ally in the region, is in a stronger position than he has been in years.

What's more, Russia has cast itself as an indispensable global player that holds the key to the settlement of a nearly five-year conflict that has flooded Europe with refugees. And the United States can't hope to push forward its agenda of ending the war without overtures to Russia.