"Urged that issues of governance be resolved through political means."

Like Putin did in Ukraine and the US?

Invaded and slaughters the Ukrainian people and interfered in the US elections.
Installed his fascist puppet into the White House.

Wow, the therapy must be kicking in.

It's difficult to understate the role of Russia in destabilizing the region and (as a result) Europe through their "Great Game" hijinks in Syria.

Creating chaos, pain, suffering.

He can more easily install his puppets into high office.

And the refugees created by his wars are sent to the US and Europe.
His puppets run for office on this issue and are elected.

And he makes more money on his drug and sex trafficking when countries are in chaos.

Sure he did.

Have the Russians abandoned them?

Who do they think Syria is? Belarus?

Oh, well, I'm sure all parties in Syria will follow Russia's orders, as long as the money and weapons flow.

it was supposedly Assad's. There will be an interesting realignment to come in there.

Russia will have no physical presence in the ME anymore. I doubt any of the opposition groups will want much to do with a foreign power who's been bombing the shit out of them for a decade. Didn't end quite the way Putin had planned. Wonder if he's getting use to that since it happens so often.

Could be some serious battles. Or, the Russkies buy some time with well placed cash.

As you note, though, the Russians have probably made a lot of enemies.

Prepare a dossier for Rubio, plop it on his desk, and be the fuck out.

I mean,.... uhhhh... have they checked the nominated Intelligence Secretary's basement or attic?

..."There is no such thing as a former KGB man."

Moscow, Tehran or Tulsi Gabbard's house?

"Assad and his family members arrived in Moscow; Russia provided them with asylum, Russian state media TASS reported."

So it appears he wasn't on the Il-76T (callsign RB9218) that was apparently shot down last night while leaving Syria. The plane is mainly used by the Syrian air force so there was a lot of speculation that he might have been on it. It certainly doesn't look like it made a normal landing:

Then again, we really don’t know what Assad would have ‘said’ if he didn’t have the equivalent of a Russian pistol to his head.