--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And if [Vladimir Putin] does fight ISIL…" description: "\"And if [Vladimir Putin] does fight ISIL alone, how does it work out for Russia to have sided with Assad, sided with Iran, sided with Hizballah, when th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/john-f-kerry-996_assad_and-if-vladimir-putin-does-fight-isil-al_3194708.jpg" --- # And if \[Vladimir Putin\] does fight ISIL alone, how does it… ![“And if [Vladimir Putin] does fight ISIL alone, how does it work out for Russia to have sided with Assad, sided with Iran, sided with Hizballah, when they're trying to reach out to the rest of the Sunni world in the region? That's not a good equation for Russia.” quote by John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/john-f-kerry-996_assad_and-if-vladimir-putin-does-fight-isil-al_3194708.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/john-f-kerry-996_assad_and-if-vladimir-putin-does-fight-isil-al_3194708.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/john-f-kerry-996_assad_and-if-vladimir-putin-does-fight-isil-al_3194708.jpg) > “And if \[Vladimir Putin\] does fight ISIL alone, how does it work out for Russia to have sided with Assad, sided with Iran, sided with Hizballah, when they're trying to reach out to the rest of the Sunni world in the region? That's not a good equation for Russia.” [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Russia’s alliances with Assad, Iran, and Hezbollah conflict with its desire to appeal to Sunni nations, creating a strategic mismatch. **In simple terms:** Russia’s alliances clash with its Sunni outreach. Key Takeaway Reevaluate foreign partnerships for consistency. Themes geopolitics strategic inconsistency regional dynamics Mood analytical cautious Type political strategic When to use this quote - diplomatic negotiations - policy planning - regional security assessments Key Concepts balance of power proxy conflicts Questions to Reflect On - What alternative alliances could Russia pursue? - How can the West respond to this mismatch? A Different Perspective Complex regional loyalties make realignment difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assad/) [Assad Sided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assad-sided-5907448/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Equations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equations/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Iran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iran/) [Iran Sided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iran-sided-5907450/) [Isil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isil/) [Isil Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isil-does-5907449/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/putin/) [Putin Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/putin-does-2079988/) [Reach out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reach-out/) [Regions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regions/) [Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia/) [Russia Sided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia-sided-5907447/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Vladimir putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vladimir-putin/) [Work out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-out/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [There's an agreement that Syria should be a unified country, united; that it needs to be secular; that ISIL needs to be taken on;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/there-s-an-agreement-that-syria-should-be-a-unified-country-united/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [We achieved a deal with the Russians that didn't wind up in two days of strikes that would have sent a, quote, "message," but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/we-achieved-a-deal-with-the-russians-that-didn-t-wind-up-in-two-days/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [ I had a chance to talk with President \[Vladimir\] Putin and he clearly said to me very directly, "I will think about that. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-had-a-chance-to-talk-with-president-vladimir-putin-and-he-clearly/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [ Three-quarters of \[Bashar Assad\] country is displaced. It's in Jordan, it's in Lebanon, it's in Turkey, and in the desert. The threat is that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/three-quarters-of-bashar-assad-country-is-displaced-it-s-in-jordan-it/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [It's likely that people will say we're all interested in destroying - ISIL is a threat to everybody. There isn't one country in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/it-s-likely-that-people-will-say-we-re-all-interested-in-destroying/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [We have staring us in the face here an enormous opportunity to actually find a way forward to have peace and stability in Syria,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/we-have-staring-us-in-the-face-here-an-enormous-opportunity-to/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Those localized efforts take a long time and they don't deal with the larger issue of ISIL and the question of what you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/those-localized-efforts-take-a-long-time-and-they-don-t-deal-with-the/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [The agreement is fundamentally that we want to try to resolve this. The agreement is that ISIL is a threat to everybody, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/the-agreement-is-fundamentally-that-we-want-to-try-to-resolve-this/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [ If Russia is there \[in Syria\] alone fighting them \[ISIL\], guess what? Russia becomes the target and Russia starts seeing - who knows -… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/if-russia-is-there-in-syria-alone-fighting-them-isil-guess-what/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [I heard Katty Kay's name and I know Katty Kay said we didn't have a plan. Well, there is a plan, and the President…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-heard-katty-kay-s-name-and-i-know-katty-kay-said-we-didn-t-have-a/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [ If \[Bashar\] Assad himself could save this whole process by saying, "I will engage in a managed transition where we all work together to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/if-bashar-assad-himself-could-save-this-whole-process-by-saying-i/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [ I met with many of - a number of \[Syrian\] refugees in Berlin the other day, and I was struck by how educated, intelligent,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-met-with-many-of-a-number-of-syrian-refugees-in-berlin-the-other/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Putin is not a strategist at all. He has brilliant tactics, but he is a very bad strategist overall. And I think he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilya-ponomarev/putin-is-not-a-strategist-at-all-he-has-brilliant-tactics-but-he-is-a/) [Ilya Ponomarev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilya-ponomarev/) > [Putin does not lie. When he says something, he means it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/putin-does-not-lie-when-he-says-something-he-means-it/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [The world respects President Trump. And I believe that Vladimir Putin does as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-britt/the-world-respects-president-trump-and-i-believe-that-vladimir-putin/) [Katie Britt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-britt/) ## More by John F. Kerry > [I am sympathetic to developing countries’ concerns: because of our emissions it’s their crops that will disappear; because of our inaction, it’s their fields…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-am-sympathetic-to-developing-countries-concerns-because-of-our/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [The fact is that in too many parts of our country, we still have discrimination. And affirmative action is not just something that applies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/the-fact-is-that-in-too-many-parts-of-our-country-we-still-have/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [ People talk about \[Bashar\] Assad running Syria. He doesn't control his own country. He's down to about 20, 25 percent of the country. What… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/people-talk-about-bashar-assad-running-syria-he-doesn-t-control-his/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [I'm an internationalist. I'd like to see our troops dispersed through the world only at the directive of the United Nations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-m-an-internationalist-i-d-like-to-see-our-troops-dispersed-through/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [ You cannot bring peace in Syria as long as \[Bashar\] Assad is, in fact, there. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/you-cannot-bring-peace-in-syria-as-long-as-bashar-assad-is-in-fact/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [There's an agreement that Syria should be a unified country, united; that it needs to be secular; that ISIL needs to be taken on;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/there-s-an-agreement-that-syria-should-be-a-unified-country-united/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [It's very hard to get other countries to give up their weapons when you're busy developing a new one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/it-s-very-hard-to-get-other-countries-to-give-up-their-weapons-when/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [There is no bigger judgment for a president of the United States than how you take a nation to war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/there-is-no-bigger-judgment-for-a-president-of-the-united-states-than/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [I have confidence in my campaign. I have assembled a great team that is going to beat George W. Bush, and any rumors to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-have-confidence-in-my-campaign-i-have-assembled-a-great-team-that/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [In a few years, you should be able to plug your American-made plug-in hybrid into the outlet in your garage, so that you never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/in-a-few-years-you-should-be-able-to-plug-your-american-made-plug-in/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Unlike Washington, which is stuck in ideological gridlock, Americans feel the impact of climate change in their own hometowns and they know something must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/unlike-washington-which-is-stuck-in-ideological-gridlock-americans/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [America must always be the world's paramount military power, but we can magnify our power through alliances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/america-must-always-be-the-world-s-paramount-military-power-but-we/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [We should not allow a tiny minority of shoddy scientists and science and extreme ideologues to compete with scientific facts,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/we-should-not-allow-a-tiny-minority-of-shoddy-scientists-and-science/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Jesus did not help just the sick who could afford to pay for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/jesus-did-not-help-just-the-sick-who-could-afford-to-pay-for-it/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [War should be not a war of choice; it should be a war of necessity. And it should be a last resort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/war-should-be-not-a-war-of-choice-it-should-be-a-war-of-necessity-and/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) [Explore all 312 John F. Kerry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) ## More Assad quotes > [ People talk about \[Bashar\] Assad running Syria. He doesn't control his own country. He's down to about 20, 25 percent of the country. What… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/people-talk-about-bashar-assad-running-syria-he-doesn-t-control-his/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [We could have made peace with Syrian dictator Bashar Assad a long time ago. It didn't happen, because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/we-could-have-made-peace-with-syrian-dictator-bashar-assad-a-long/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [ You cannot bring peace in Syria as long as \[Bashar\] Assad is, in fact, there. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/you-cannot-bring-peace-in-syria-as-long-as-bashar-assad-is-in-fact/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Assad's mother was a terror. He was terrified of her and she kept saying to him, you're not like your father. That's interesting, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/assad-s-mother-was-a-terror-he-was-terrified-of-her-and-she-kept/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [ We have to do one thing at a time. We can't be fighting ISIS and fighting \[Bashar\]Assad. Assad is fighting ISIS. He is fighting… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-have-to-do-one-thing-at-a-time-we-can-t-be-fighting-isis-and/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“Assad whistled a few notes of one of his native country's melancholic songs. It sounded as though he was whistling backwards”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jussi-adler-olsen/assad-whistled-a-few-notes-of-one-of-his-native-country-s-melancholic/) [Jussi Adler-Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jussi-adler-olsen/) > [ \[Bashar\] Assad is one of the main reasons why ISIS even exists to begin with. Assad is a puppet of Iran. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/bashar-assad-is-one-of-the-main-reasons-why-isis-even-exists-to-begin/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Bashar Assad is a major cause of the refugees which are now flooding Europe and causing such consternation in the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/bashar-assad-is-a-major-cause-of-the-refugees-which-are-now-flooding/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [The principal sponsors of the terrorists are not religious fanatics. "Palestine's Yasser Arafat, Iraq's Saddam Hussein, and Syria's Assad family have made themselves the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-buckley-jr/the-principal-sponsors-of-the-terrorists-are-not-religious-fanatics/) [William F. Buckley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-f-buckley-jr/) > [ I think those who have wanted regime \[of Bashar Assad\] change have made a mistake. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-think-those-who-have-wanted-regime-of-bashar-assad-change-have-made/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [ If \[Bashar\] Assad himself could save this whole process by saying, "I will engage in a managed transition where we all work together to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/if-bashar-assad-himself-could-save-this-whole-process-by-saying-i/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [We know that russians are deeply engaged in supporting Assad because they want to have a place in the Middle East. They have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-know-that-russians-are-deeply-engaged-in-supporting-assad-because/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [ If we topple \[Bashar\] Assad, the result will be ISIS will take over Syria, and it will worsen U.S. national security interests. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/if-we-topple-bashar-assad-the-result-will-be-isis-will-take-over/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [ Every chance at destabilizing \[Bashar\] Assad... the bombing campaign causes a flood of refugees into Jordan, there's already half a million in Jordan. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/every-chance-at-destabilizing-bashar-assad-the-bombing-campaign/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [ I'll tell you whose view on \[Bashar\] Assad is the same as mine. It's Prime Minister \[Benjamin\] Netanyahu. Prime Minister Netanyahu has said Israel… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-ll-tell-you-whose-view-on-bashar-assad-is-the-same-as-mine-it-s/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) [Browse all 130 Assad quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assad/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "And if [Vladimir Putin] does fight ISIL alone, how does it work out for Russia to have sided with Assad, sided with Iran, sided with Hizballah, when they're trying to reach out to the rest of the Sunni world in the region? That's not a good equation for Russia.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John F. 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