The polonium 210 wealding, mass murdering homophobe now appears to be happy to risk starting a global conflict to maintain control of European energy supply, take attention away from what he's doing in eastern Ukraine and protect his access to the Mediterranean.
Despite it being nice of him to give us a flyby of his funky concorde style bomber, I don't much like the bloke if I'm honest.
Any indications that cooperation between Russia and the US was ever possible in Syria have only come about through both sides attempts to conceal they're real intentions which are in fact absolutely opposed to each other.
No one is in Syria to fight IS.
It's about pipelines. Russia wants a virtual monopoly on European energy supply and the power that gives him.
Assad refused to build a pipeline from Qatar through Syria to Turkey but then agreed a deal to build a pipeline from Iran to Lebanon.
It's no coincidence that those nations in favour of the Iran to Lebanon pipeline are the same nations trying to ensure Assad maintains power. Whilst those who wanted the Qatar to Turkey pipeline, are those supporting opposition groups such as The Free Syrian Army.
It's a similar tale in Ukraine in which all but one gas pipeline from Russia to Europe is located. The other is in Belarus but running very close to or on the border with Ukraine.
Russia doesn't like the fact that Ukraine wants to join the EU and NATO. This time it's Putin's turn to support rebels whilst 'The West' supports the current government in Kiev.
