Syria and Ukraine: two fronts in Russian war for influence

File photo of Nusra Front fighters walk among debris caused by what activists said was shelling from warplanes loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad near the national hospital in Jisr al-Shughour town, Idlib province, May 22, 2015. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah

BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russia's air strikes in Syria are in part designed to extract concessions from the West over Ukraine by making Moscow a key player in any attempts by world powers to hammer out a post-conflict settlement in Damascus, some Western officials believe.

While the Syrian capital lies 1,800 miles (3,000 km) south of Kiev, for Russian President Vladimir Putin they are two fronts in the same war that is aimed at blocking Ukraine's European integration, some EU, U.S. and NATO officials say.