MOSCOW — On Dec. 29, a high-level Turkish delegation composed of Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, intelligence chief Hakan Fidan and presidential aide Ibrahim Kalin came to Moscow for talks on Syria.

Since US President Donald Trump made the snap announcement on the drawdown of US troops from Syria, there has been no shortage of speculation about ultimate winners and losers. Yet the main pacesetters in Syrian dynamics these days — Russia, Turkey, and Iran — have all had similar concerns over the possible immediate complications the snap Trump decision may entail politically and operationally.

While the dominant view in Moscow seems to have been that the move empowers Turkey, many in Ankara suggest that the Trump decision further reinforces Russia’s role as a dealmaker in Syria and that all roads involving the situation in Idlib and the east of the Euphrates now lead to the Kremlin.

Both parties are probably right in their respective views about this situation. Turkey is a critical power in the Middle East: While Washington may not have a clear vision for the region, there are enough professionals on all levels of the American government who recognize Turkey's importance and push for a closer relationship between the two NATO allies. Trump’s “handing over” of Syria to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is largely seen in Moscow as a reflection of this intent. So are the likely sale of the Patriot air-defense system and the lifting of sanctions against Turkey.