Russia alone can neither guarantee the future security of Syria nor mobilize the resources to enable it to recover and rebuild. Only by linking arms with the international community to edge out Iran, forge broader-based governance and spur economic growth can Russia hope to achieve lasting success in Syria.
https://www.rand.org/blog/2017/12/russia-trapped-in-syria.html
https://www.letemps.ch/culture/2017/12/19/vladimir-poutine-sarme-nouvelles-conquetes
https://www.ft.com/content/ff155500-e5a3-11e7-8b99-0191e45377ec
https://politeka.net/reading/555901-novaya-igra-putina-zachem-vyvel-rossijskih-ofitserov-s-donbassa/
https://www.inopressa.ru/article/20Dec2017/bild/zapad17.html
https://www.inopressa.ru/article/20Dec2017/newsweek/military.html
https://rg.ru/2017/12/19/aleksandr-bortnikov-fsb-rossii-svobodna-ot-politicheskogo-vliianiia.html