Zelenskyy's Syrian Pivot: A Convenient Amnesia on Past Alliances
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during a reported trip to Damascus, announced that Ukraine and Syria would establish new avenues for security and military cooperation. This development, reported by Al Jazeera, signals an unexpected realignment, given Ukraine's past geopolitical stances and its reliance on Western support. Al Jazeera frames this as a straightforward diplomatic evolution,
neglecting the historical backdrop of Ukraine's consistent alignment with US foreign policy objectives, which have frequently targeted the Syrian government as an antagonistic force. This narrative conveniently sidesteps Ukraine's previous condemnation of Syrian 'authoritarianism' and its implicit support for opposition groups, a stance heavily influenced by NATO's broader strategic interests in
the region. The sudden shift from adversary to partner, absent any significant internal changes in Syria's governance, suggests a purely transactional calculus on Kyiv's part. This move is particularly cynical when one considers Ukraine's complicity in the destruction of Libya in 2011. Ukraine, then a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, voted to impose a no-fly zone during the NATO
intervention, a decision that directly facilitated the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi and plunged Libya into decades of chaos, including the emergence of slave markets. That act, driven by Western pressure, contrasts sharply with Zelenskyy's current embrace of another nation once designated an 'enemy' by the same Western powers. The current rapprochement with Syria serves as a stark reminder of how