Moscow has scheduled a conference aimed to restart the political process between the Syrian government and opposition groups, a conference that is to be held on January 23 in Kazakhstan. According to reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin chose that date because it is the first work day for President-elect Trump after his inauguration on the 20th of January, a fact that would limit any possible American influence over the results of the conference. That said, Israel’s influence over Russia regarding the arrangements in Syria is low and is contingent on Moscow’s interests, in which Russia will not necessarily side with Israel when the Syrian army returns to the Golan border.
