Former British Ambassador to Russia Tony Brenton notes that “behind the misleading briefings, it is plainly the build-up of Russian troops in Syria that has precipitated the meeting [btwn Putin and Obama – ed] . Western commentators have offered the normal range of fanciful explanations for this: to replace the fading US presence in the region, or to put pressure on the Saudis over oil prices. The reality is simpler. As Putin says (and on this is to be believed), Russia’s overriding aim is to block the rise of Islamic fundamentalism which is a direct domestic threat to them in the Caucasus and elsewhere.”