SincetheUnitedStatesandthenRussiabothgotinvolvedintheSyriansituationinthenameof“anti-terrorism,”thefateofSyriahasbeendominatedbygreat-powerrivalry.TheUSandRussiahavebasicallyestablishedtheirrespectivespheresofinfluenceafterseveralroundsofcomplicatedcompetition,butthisisbynomeansthetwopowers’ultimateobjectiveinSyria.Ingeneral,thepowerplaysbetweenthetwocountriesinSyriaarelinkedtotheircompetitioninEurasiaandtotheirinterventioninotherhotspotissuesoftheMiddleEast.AstheUS-RussiacompetitionplaysaleadingroleinthetrajectoryoftheSyrianandthebroaderMiddleEastsituation,geopoliticalconfrontationbetweenregionalpowers,especiallythatbetweenSaudiArabiaandIran,hasbeensubordinatetoandbecomepartoftheUS-Russiarivalry.
