Together with the war clouds hovering over the Iranian nuclear program, the failed Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and radical political change throughout the wider Middle East, the conflict in Syria shows that Europe’s southeast will continue to be a major security challenge.  Yet, despite Russia’s ambitions for reshaping its neighborhood – and despite decreasing US involvement in the Middle East – Europe is hardly prepared to act.
Conjuntamente com as nuvens de guerra que pairam sobre o programa nuclear iraniano,  o fracasso do processo de paz israelo-palestiniano e a mudança política radical em todo o Médio Oriente, o conflito na Síria mostra que o sudeste da Europa continuará a ser um importante desafio em matéria de segurança.