“The loss of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city and the most significant urban center to fall, at least partially, under rebel control, would represent a potentially decisive blow to the nearly five-year-old rebellion against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.” Russian airstrikes are helping to crush the rebellion in Syria to the point that we may not need the peace talks (which aren’t making any progress anyway).

+ And if that happens, one short term outcome will be more refugees.