A precious book to examine in depht the complex Middle Eastern situation in all its aspects.

The Russian diplomat Maria Khodynskaya Golenischeva analyses the background and the main causes of the Syrian Civil War; she reviews anti-government and pro-government groups; highlights the importance of US and the role they could play in the future; describes the complex directives of Moscow diplomacy both within UN field of action and on a bilateral and multilateral level.

The author, who perfectly speaks Arabic language and has a deep knowledge of the Middle East issue, has been based in Geneva UN base for seven years. She has covered the conflict from its beginning, often visiting Syria and the other countries involved in peace negotiations. Maria Khodynskaya Golenischeva used a series of documental sources and enriched her book thanks to her personal experience.