Will There Be A Russian - U.S. Skirmish In Northeastern Syria?

Washington Post: Russia Encroaches on U.S. Stronghold in Syria, Threatening Conflict

Following the shakeup from the sudden U.S. retreat, major powers in northeast Syria have bolstered their forces and converged on a strategically critical area.

Russia has chosen to establish a new military base in a part of Syria perilously close to an area that American troops have been charged with defending, heightening the risk of a confrontation from either an unintentional skirmish or a deliberate provocation.

Analysts believe the potential for new fighting in northeast Syria is particularly high as Russia seeks to test the resolve of the U.S. and its allies following President Donald Trump's hasty decision to withdraw from the region last month.

"This is a new phase that the U.S. hasn't dealt with before," says John Dunford, a research assistant at the Institute for the Study of War, which tracks the movement of forces in the region. "As we move into a new phase of war, northeast Syria becomes more and more compacted with different forces."

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WNU Editor: I do not think there is going to be a Russian - U.S. skirmish. Both sides are in constant communication, and when they have crossed paths they have always respected each other. The Russians also do not see the Kurds as the enemy, and have given them a wide berth. The big problem are the Turks, who are determined to claim territory in this region and to wage war against the Kurds and their allies. And when the Turks have threatened a new offensive, the U.S. and Russia have worked together .... U.S. and Russia Hit Back At Turkey's Threat to Attack Their Allies in Syria (Newsweek).