The West and especially the UK never looses an opportunity to blame, pour scorn on or needle the Russians. Moreover there is never anything nuanced or thoughtful coming out of the political elements of either the foreign office or the defence ministry, who pedal the notion that they are not only right but righteous. Yet here we are after four years of the most appalling civil war with millions uprooted, hundreds of thousands killed and the fabric and infrastructure of the country destroyed beyond use, at last edging towards some kind of peace. There is a long way to go and much can go wrong, but now we know there can be an end and it might be in sight. What has changed? After four years of western involvement which achieved nothing? Russia intervened. Five months ago almost exactly.