Russia Wins Joint Control of Northern Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin played host to Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for more than six hours of talks on how they and other regional players will divide control of Syria, a land devastated by eight years of civil war, the New York Times reports.

“The negotiations ended with a victory for Mr. Putin: Russian and Turkish troops will take joint control over a vast swath of formerly Kurdish-held territory in northern Syria, in a move that cements the rapid expansion of Russian influence in Syria at the expense of the United States and its Kurdish former allies.”