The western part of Syria was under US influence. In order to weaken the US sphere of influence in Syria, Putin did not hesitate to quietly support Erdogan in the attack on Afrin. In order to limit the US sphere of influence, Putin did not hesitate to take 200,000 people hostage.
It is very sad that fanatical admirers of Putin only realize that Putin is a criminal when 200,000 people are homeless.
Sources of information
https://www.fox23.com/news/world/turkish-army-and-allies-in-total-control-of-syrias-afrin/721167001
https://slobodnyvyber.sk/kurdi-obvinuju-rusov-zo-spoluucasti-na-utoku-v-afrine/
https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/564187/komentar-juraja-mesika-ticho-o-stovkach-rusov-pobitych-7-februara-v-syrii/
What followed
January 20, 2018 Russia withdraws its soldiers from the bombed enclave of Afrin in Syria http://www.teraz.sk/zahranicie/rusko-vojaci-afrin-syria/304004-clanok.htmlOn January 27, 2018, the USA announced to Turkey that they would no longer supply weapons to the Syrian YPG forces. The Turkish offensive in Syria against the YPG, which is supported by the United States, has been going on for eight days. http://www.teraz.sk/zahranicie/usa-oznamili-turecku-ze-uz-nebudu-d/305207-clanok.html
April 3, 2018 Trump wants to withdraw troops from Syria, the date will be decided soon. The president complained that the United States had spent seven trillion dollars in the Middle East in recent years and "it brought nothing but death and destruction." http://www.teraz.sk/zahranicie/trump-chce-stiahnut-vojakov-zo-syrie/317424-clanok.html
April 4, 2018 Trump wants to keep troops in Syria only for a short time, insists on withdrawal. An unnamed senior government official told CNN on Wednesday. http://www.teraz.sk/zahranicie/trump-chce-ponechat-vojakov-v-syrii-le/317598-clanok.html
April 6, 2018 Pentagon: US policy in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria remains unchanged. Trump has stated several times in recent days that the fight against the extremist organization Islamic State in Syria is almost over and he would like to withdraw American soldiers back home. http://www.teraz.sk/zahranicie/pentagon-politika-usa-v-boji-proti-is-sa/317865-clanok.html
April 12, 2018 OPCW experts traveled to Syria. According to various sources, between 40 and 100 people died in the alleged attack with deadly chemical weapons in Douma. At least 500 other residents had symptoms of poisoning by a toxic chemical substance. http://www.teraz.sk/zahranicie/brief-do-syrie-odcestovali-experti-zo/319179-clanok.html
April 14, 2018 VIDEO: The USA, France, and Great Britain launched an attack on targets in Syria. The targets of these attacks were primarily three facilities near the cities of Damascus and Homs in western Syria. http://www.teraz.sk/zahranicie/trump-spojene-staty-a-ich-spojenci-p/319430-clanok.html
17. 04. 2018 Trump insists on the withdrawal of US troops from Syria: We look forward to that day. Donald Trump, announcing Saturday's military action in Syria, stated that "America will under no circumstances remain in Syria indefinitely." https://hnonline.sk/svet/1728926-trump-trva-na-stiahnuti-americkych-vojakov-zo-syrie-tesime-sa-na-ten-den
17. 4. 2018 EU calls on Russians: Bring the Syrian government to the negotiating table. The end of the Syrian civil war has never been so far away, the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday. https://aktualne.centrum.sk/zahranicie/europa/eu-vyzyva-rusov-privedte-syrsku-vladu-k-rokovaciemu-stolu.html