Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: Wiki Commons.

Market Watch – President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday clashed publicly over how to resolve the conflict in Syria, in a showdown in front of the rest of the world’s leaders that added uncertainty to the burgeoning crisis in the Middle East.

The day of exchanges held an unusual sense of drama as Obama reasserted a core U.S. demand — the ultimate departure of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad — while Putin stepped up his military’s involvement across the region, spelling the likelihood of a marked shift in the race for influence.

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