Moscow wants to keep Mr Al Assad — its main Middle East ally — in power to ensure its continued military influence in the region. But unlike Iran it has primarily focused on supporting government forces rather than pro-Al Assad militias. Syria: Who's backing who and why? There are many foreign powers involved in the Syrian conflict, each with their own interests and each allied to different local players.
The national. But it agrees on the need for a negotiated settlement to end the war and the formation of a transitional administration. The US supports Syria's main opposition alliance, the National Coalition, and provides limited military assistance to "moderate" rebels. Since September , the US has been conducting air strikes on IS and other jihadist groups in Syria as part of an international coalition against the jihadist group.
But it has avoided attacks that might benefit Mr Assad's forces or intervening in battles between them and the rebels. A programme to train and arm 5, Syrian rebels to take the fight to IS on the ground has suffered embarrassing setbacks, with few having even reached the frontline.
The Sunni-ruled Gulf kingdom says President Assad cannot be part of a solution to the conflict and must hand over power to a transitional administration or be removed by force. Riyadh is a major provider of military and financial assistance to several rebel groups, including those with Islamist ideologies, and has called for a no-fly zone to be imposed to protect civilians from bombardment by Syrian government forces.
Saudi leaders were angered by the Obama administration's decision not to intervene militarily in Syria after a chemical attack blamed on Mr Assad's forces. They have received cash from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which they are then allocating to regional councils to buy weapons from arms traders. The council is struggling to establish a chain of command and control within the Free Syrian Army, which is heavily fragmented and unable to function as a standing military in all but a few areas.
As a result, council leaders have crossed into northern Syria to establish bases. They have no shortage of funds, but resentment over the limited role they have played so far means they are struggling to win the respect of the units and villages they are visiting.
Syria: who's backing who? Regime can rely on supply of weapons from Russia, while material support for rebels is mostly fragmented and scarce. Members of the Free Syrian Army in Aleppo. Photograph: Reuters. Martin Chulov. Russian support in Syria increased dramatically when the Arab Spring - a series of uprisings across the Middle East - began in Libya overthrew their long-term leader , Muammar Gaddafi, in , "which Russia saw as directly undermining its influence in the Arab world," says Mr Reeve.
As a result, President Putin started to look for allies elsewhere in the region. This conflict is the first time Russia has really been able to test out the capabilities of its newly-expanded military.
Russia's involvement in the Middle East is also partly so that they have a say in major world events, says Prof Light. She suggests that this may be partly because they are worried about the potential effects the conflict will have on the large Muslim population in Russia.
They want to kill them. Mr Reeve doesn't see Russia backing down any time soon, despite Assad being accused of using chemical weapons on his own people - a charge which his government strongly denies.
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