Russia set to break grisly stalemate in Syria

``Even as the Obama administration is reduced to a mute witness, a dramatic change in the US policy in Syria seems to be unfolding. To quote Prof Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director-general of Britain's respected think tank, Royal United Services Institute, Trump's "evident sympathy" for Vladimir Putin and his scepticism for America's military alliances "cannot be assumed to be passing fancies".''