Geopolitics certainly is at play, but so is religion - it just depends who you are in terms of the the way you see it and the endgame.
Now you suggest Russian control of the pipelines on the one hand, but then Obama etc as if they have set this refugee crisis up to somehow make things work for the West. Well, you certainly can't have it both ways in terms of each side getting what they want.
Obama, Merkel, EU etc have absolutely zero idea - they have overseen a mess from every angle, as much as Russia just needed to sit back, laugh and wait as the inept PC approach of Obama and Co imploded.
Russia has soundly bashed the US and Europe on a Geopolitical score.
And of course the Syrian issue has a great deal to do with religion from the Islamic perspective. You don't think Iran has goals? It controls Syria, Iraq, has a big grip on Lebanon and has been having fun against the Saudis in Yemen. If you want to call that Geopolitics, fine, but it tightly is enclosed in an Islamic veil.
The Iran leadership is far crazier than the Saudis. I reckon the Saudi Leadership use religion to their advantage to control their masses (money is more important to them), whilst the Iranian leadership actually practice what they preach - you tell me what is worse.
Iran want a band through to Syria, down through Lebanon and Israel to the edges of Egypt. Jordan would be a killer blow, but with or without, this would represent a massive shift against the Sunni balance of power. That would make an absolutely perfect Shiite Caliphate. Here's how it's looking:
Russia want access to the band from Iran through to Syria (the Mediterranean) for its own selfish reasons - selfish=geopolitics.
US and Europe perhaps favoured their own selfish fragmented solution in the middle east, because that does not give the Arabs/Muslims any cohesion. The way Obama and Co have executed of late has been an absolute mess and played into hands of the Russian approach which I believe results in a stronger, less fragmented and therefore more dangerous fundamentalist Islamic bloc.
Mid-Long term Russian solution is worse for the world.
Remember, in Islam, Religion and Politics are inseparable, so if you want to coin the Islamic flood into Europe, geopolitical, well I'd be looking at a different word to describe it...
