Over the last two weeks, the world has witnessed a spectacular collapse of the Assad regime in Syria. The world should not mourn the fall of Bashar al-Assad, a brutal dictator who oppressed his own people, including the 2011 civil war where thousands were executed. In 2013, he conducted a chemical weapons attack in Ghouta killing 1,400 people. In 2015, the Russian government came in and saved the regime of al-Assad and established military presence in the western part of Syria.
The fall of the regime represents an opportunity for the Syrian people to come together and form a more inclusive government that represents the desires of its people and respects all religious and sectarian differences. It is also a big strategic loss for Vladimir Putin in this region, and Russia will now likely concentrate its efforts on Ukraine, where it’s ramping up its illegal invasion of the country.
The George W. Bush Institute released policy recommendations on Ukraine to the incoming administration and Congress on how to tackle this existential challenge. Our recommendations:
- Prioritize support for a Ukrainian victory by accelerating provision of robust military assistance to Kyiv;
- Reenforce existing economic sanctions on Russia and impose new, effective ones;
- Extend an invitation for Ukraine to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; and
- Prioritize the prosecution of Russia’s war crimes.
