Why Russia's aircraft carrier visits Syrian port

Edited and translated by People's Daily Online

On Jan. 7, the politically unstable Syria received a special visitor – Russia's only aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov. The aircraft carrier's visit to Syria during such a sensitive period immediately sparked various reactions.

The Syrian state media called the visit a "show of solidarity with the Syrian people," while the Russian military maintained that the aircraft carrier was on its set course, and anchored at the Syrian port of Tartus just to replenish provisions, stressing that it had nothing to do with Syria's current situation.

At the same time, major Western media outlets published reports saying that Russian warships entered Syrian waters to inhibit foreign invasion. The same event led to different interpretations, making people wonder why the Russian aircraft carrier chose to visit Syria.

The Russian military's interpretation should be considered the most authoritative, not to mention that the aircraft carrier was indeed on a course that was set long ago.

The Syrian state media's interpretation and high-profile coverage are understandable. The country is under enormous domestic and international pressure, and wants to intimidate foreign forces by interpreting the arrival of the aircraft carrier as Russia's strong support. However, the problem is that Russia may have a different plan.

This event once again demonstrated Western mainstream media's great influence over opinions. It realized their attempt of tying up Russia with the Syrian government so as to exert pressure on Russia.