Why Russia sticks by al-Assad

Anna Borshchevskaya is the assistant director of the Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council. The views expressed are solely those of the author.
As Syrian atrocities have escalated, so too has U.S. frustration with Russian intransigence.  On July 19, after Russia and China vetoed sanctions against the al-Assad regime, the White House called their decision “deplorable and regrettable.”
There are many reasons for Russian intransigence. With the Mediterranean port of Tartus, Syria hosts Russia’s only military base outside the confines of the former Soviet Union. Russian President Vladimir Putin is a realist – he clearly believes that Russia gains more by sticking with Bashar al-Assad than gambling on the regime that will follow.