President Vladimir Putin's unexpected announcement that Russian troops would pull back from Syria shouldn't be taken at face value: He's made similar announcements in the past to show Western negotiating partners how constructive he can be. He always has a hidden agenda.
Putin's official explanation of the supposed withdrawal, which started Tuesday, is that he considers "the tasks set for the Defense Ministry mainly carried out." The Russian military "has allowed Syrian troops and the patriotic forces of Syria to achieve a radical breakthrough in the fight against international terrorism and gain initiative on practically every front."
He's not wrong about the latter: Emboldened and aided by Russian air strikes against the regime's opponents, President Bashar Assad's forces have been gaining ground since the start of this year. Yet they haven't captured the all-important city of Aleppo or dealt any spectacular defeats to any of the bigger insurgent groups, including the Islamic State. "Radical breakthrough" is an exaggeration.