What does the fall of the [Assad] regime tell us about Russia's influence?

First of all, it shows that authoritarian regimes that may have felt quite safe yesterday can melt like the spring snow. Every authoritarian leader should draw their conclusions from this, and I'm sure Putin has. That is likely also why he offered Assad safe haven. Strategically speaking, it is a major setback for Russia. A setback for Russia and for Iran. That much is clear. What's less clear is what is going to happen now, with both positive and negative scenarios possible.

To what extent will Syria be able to handle its own affairs and to what extent do they have the fear outside influence?

It is too soon to say, while initial signs are cause for careful optimism. I'm mainly referring to news of many people who had fled Syria showing up at border points to return. There are those who know the situation in the country, meaning that they're no longer afraid to go back. Images from Syria this evening (Sunday – ed.) also suggest the situation is calm. We are not seeing a total collapse. /.../ It seems that the transition is about as stable as can be under the circumstances. But this might change in the coming days, and we can only hope that those who hold the guns and control today can resist the urge to drown the effort in violence.

Now for the million dollar question of who will end up in power?

Hopefully, the people of Syria. But because Syria is such a versatile country made up of many different peoples and religions, I see no other way than to convene a nationwide assembly of some sort and working toward a government from there. I'm afraid that any attempt to establish control by force would see the circle of violence start anew. And we would not like to see that.

We saw that Syrians living abroad are keen to return home. But could a different kind of wave of refugees from Syria to Europe happen?

If the situations gets worse, absolutely. That is one reason we need to keep a wary eye on the region, even if it is not the only one. But I'll say again that initial signs are positive. What's positive is that the tyrant, dictator who used chemical weapons on his own people has lost. And the regime eventually collapsed virtually without bloodshed, albeit after years of conflict. But the recent operation went ahead as imperceptibly as possible for such things. That is the positive news. /.../ Now, the people of Syria can start their own history, start from a clean slate. Or they can collapse back to where they came from. I hope they will make the right choices.

Back to Russia. How long can Putin keep things going should Donald Trump fail to end the war after taking office in America?

I believe they're not in a good place. Not indefinitely. The fact that he has to rent weapons from Iran and troops from North Korea is hardly a sign of strength. The fact that he is likely going to lose his bases in the Middle East, which are key for supplying his African ventures, is another sign of weakness. Authoritarian regimes only look strong, without actually being strong.

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