The uprising against the Assad dictatorship in Syria was a direct outgrowth of the "Arab Spring" that was happening simultaneously around the middle east rather than as a result of Russia's criminal annexation of the Crimea and Ukraine. There are so many enemies fighting enemies in Syria that the only possible allies we could have there are the Kurdish forces in the north. Remember when McCain got on his high horse about putting troops into Syria to support a faction that was revealed to be totally al Queda affiliated? Obama joined with Russia in demanding the destruction of all chemical weapons held by the Assad regime and they complied with that order. The tensions the Obama administration faced with Russia were from it's invasion of Crimea and interference in the Ukraine. In that he was allied with McCain and Graham. That Russia was bombing civilian targets and hospitals in Syria added to the tension. As the carnage goes on remember that Iran is Russia and Assads foremost ally there