Russian President Vladimir Putin remains silent on the collapse of his close ally, Bashar al-Assad, in Syria, indicating that the war in Ukraine is his top priority. The future of Russia's military bases in Syria is uncertain, and a scaled-down military presence is the best-case scenario for Russia. However, this would not fulfill Putin's earlier ambitions of projecting might on NATO's doorstep. The outcome of the war in Ukraine has become the biggest factor in Russia's future security, and Putin believes he is winning. Russia has been scaling down its presence in Syria, and Russian officials have sought to engage with the conservative Islamist group that led the rebel offensive in Syria. It is unclear whether Russia's diplomacy will be enough to maintain a military presence in Syria.