Panelists talked about the important issues surrounding the Russian-Syrian relationship and how the United States should approach Syria’s civil war. Panelists agreed that Russia’s leaders are unlikely to change their stance on the Syrian civil war. Ariel Cohen of Heritage said Russia’s support for the Assad regime in Syria has changed the dynamics in the region, causing Islamist groups to view Russia as their “number one enemy.” Since the start of the conflict, Russia has vetoed U.N. Security Council resolutions calling for an end to the violence. Russian arms were found aboard a Syrian commercial airliner that was forced to land by the Turkish military.