When the Russian navy in 2012 reestablished its presence in the Mediterranean Sea after more than two decades, it was generally not viewed by NATO as a hostile move. After all, the group of ships conducting defense drills and patrols in the region was generally limited to a few instances annually. But after Russian forces last week began transporting military equipment on ships and planes into Syria, highlighted by the increased use of an old naval base in the eastern end of the Mediterranean, the simmering animosity between the multi-nation military alliance -- due in no small part to Moscow's military actions in Ukraine that stem from last year's annexation of Crimea and the continuing war in East Ukraine, which NATO has opposed -- and Russia has been heating up. It was not immediately clear what exactly the military equipment is intended for. Russia insists it will be used to target the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS and ISIL, which has taken over large, strategic swaths in Syria. Or it could be given to Syrian President Bashar Assad's military to help increase his grip over the war-torn country, as the Pentagon has suggested, considering Russia and Syria's alliance. But one thing's for sure: If Russia was to convert the base, named Tartus, back to its former glory, it would not only mean Moscow's Mediterranean fleet would benefit from the clear logistical advantages, it would also be a significant step in the reemergence of Russia's military across Europe and in the Middle East, posing serious implications for NATO in the Mediterranean, experts in international relations said. "Russia's desire to keep this base, which on the one hand does have huge military benefits, is mainly political in nature," said Paul Schwartz, a Russian defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International studies, a Washington D.C.-based think tank. "Look at it like this: They have access to a base in the Mediterranean that gives them extended influence and presence that offers the ability to use the base as a means to prop up Assad and trouble NATO." The base, which is located off the coast of Syria and is around 150 miles from Damascus, has been used occasionally over the last few years by Russian ships looking to refuel and resupply food. Because Russia's Mediterranean fleet is so far from its home ports in the Black Sea, Tartus takes on a pivotal supporting role in keeping Moscow's ships operational, while also offering Russia, and its military equipment, easy access into Syria. "It's killing two birds with one stone," added Schwartz, who said that it was not yet clear if Russia would actually restore the base, but that it was a serious possibility. While the drills and patrols are completely legal under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, there are serious fears among U.S. and NATO leaders that adding more military forces, such as Russian ships and other military units, into an already highly militarized situation in Syria would destabilize the entire Middle East. Russia's involvement in Syria "could lead to greater violence and are not helpful at all" to international efforts help end the civil war, according to the White House. The U.S. "would welcome constructive Russian contributions to the counter-ISIS effort" but that it would be "unconscionable for any party, including the Russians, to provide any support to the ... regime" of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, White House spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters.
