Putin's 'realpolitik' aims to make Russia indispensable

Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Turkmenistan's President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov (not pictured) on the sidelines of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Tehran, Iran, November 23, 2015. REUTERS/Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/Kremlin

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - By intervening in Syria, President Vladimir Putin has broken Russia's relative isolation and is making it the "indispensable nation" in conflicts in Syria, Ukraine and with Islamic State while the United States balks at deeper involvement.

But in this geopolitical poker game, it's not clear he will be able to quit while he's winning, especially when events can take unexpected turns such as the shooting down of a Russian jet by Turkey's air force on Tuesday.