While civil war rages on in Syria, the world stage increasingly starts to bear an eerie resemblance to the Cold War era. Tensions between the United States and Russia have been escalating as key agents, like Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, pick sides.

Who is Assad?

Bashar al-Assad is the current President of Syria, and has been for the last fifteen years. At the beginning of his rule, much of the global community thought he could be a potential reformer. However, after his brutal crackdown on the Arab Spring in 2011, it became quickly apparent that he was not there to reform. Since then, governments of the United States, Canada, and nations of the European Union have been calling for his resignation. Unfortunately, Assad was sworn in for a third seven-year term just last June. However, there are many suspicions that his re-election was essentially staged, seeing as the election was only held in territories already controlled by the regime, and the other two candidates were considered figureheads rather than opponents.

Right now, Assad heads the Syrian government in a vicious civil war between the government, ISIS, rebel groups, Kurdish groups, Hezbollah (a terrorist group from Iran), and Sunni insurgents. Russia and Iran are Assad's biggest backers.

Why did he go to Moscow?

For decades, Syria has been Russia's only ally in the Middle East. As opposers to Assad's regime, such as the United States, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, provide military support to Syrian rebel groups, Russia has been supporting Assad by issuing air strikes on those who oppose his regime.

Assad's visit to Moscow was completely unexpected, although that is not uncommon for world leaders. The travel details of world leaders are often undisclosed until they return to their home country. However, what is a little more shocking is that this was Assad's first trip overseas since 2011.

He and Putin discussed coordination of military action within Syria. Following his visit, Putin spoke with the leaders in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan, all key players in the Middle East, and all of whom oppose the Assad regime.

Why does it matter?

Assad's continuation of power is causing the deaths of millions as the civil war rages on. His regime also represents a threat to democracy and stability within the entire region.

Additionally, the fact that Putin is so very willing to host Assad sends a very clear message to the West and its supporters: Russia is inextricably involved now, and no solution can be reached without Russia's presence at the table.

It also means that Assad believes he is in a position where he can safely leave Syria and go to other places for diplomatic relations. This could be indicative of a dramatic shift in Assad's favor since Russia's intervention.