FILE - In this March 4, 2012 file photo, a Syrian woman kisses a poster of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a pro-Syrian government protest in front of the Russian Embassy in Damascus, Syria. In ramping up its military involvement in Syria's civil war, Russia appears to be betting that the West, horrified by Islamic State's atrocities, may be willing to tolerate Syrian President Bashar Assad for a while, perhaps as part of a transition. (AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman, File)