is also based entirely on Russian self-interest.
But that makes him easier to understand than if one applies some notion of human rights or democracy or whatever to the equation. Indeed, we tend to use these kinds of values to generate self-righteous thoughts about ourselves. And drop them when it is inconvenient.
Viewing Syria as Putin does, I think he could not care too much what sort of government it has so long as it is friendly to Russian interests (eg its Mediterranean naval base).
Russia always favours stability over idealism. And Putin sees Russia as a balance of power in the global conversation with the US. The US is not the good guy and Russia the baddie. That isn't how things generally work.
Countries are usually extremely self-interested. But the best solutions balance interests.
Looked at in that light he is less frustrating and more just an opposing force to US imperial tendencies. Opposing forces can be very constructive if you are intending to create benign solutions in local environments. If competing ideas are offered to generate a synthesis, that is. Competing ideas are only harmful if neither side is willing to give ground and the thesis and antithesis remain stubbornly opposed.
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