NEWSLINK: “Why Trump’s missiles are shaking Putin’s home front; He may be the hero of Crimea, but for the Russian leader the US strike on Syria could hardly have come at a worse moment” – The Guardian (UK)/ Mary Dejevsky

“… Moscow’s generally careful and differentiated response so far suggests that Putin himself has not given up on the prospect of better relations. Nor would it make sense for him to do so. By refusing to rise to the myriad anti-Russian charges flying around Washington, the Russian president has already invested a large amount of political capital in a fresh start with the new US administration, and risks appearing weak, even a pushover, at home if nothing positive ensues. With presidential elections in Russia next year, the economy looking vulnerable, and anti-corruption protesters taking to many city streets, the last thing Putin needs is to become bogged down in a war in Syria and a standoff with the US. This would be hard to disguise as anything other than a double policy failure of a kind that even the “hero” of Crimea could ill-afford. The home front has its risks for politicians, even presidents, in Russia too.”