Records of diplomatic and political contacts show increased exchanges of multilevel delegations between russia and the main regional. The united states has long been involved in the middle east, and its role has only grown since the end of the cold war. The middle east, therefore, factors into russian grand strategy in a number of. President donald trump sat across from russian president vladimir putin on the sidelines of the g20 summit on july 7, but we do know they talked a lot about the middle east. Russia the washington institute for near east policy. Russias influence in the middle east is growing as moscows strategy combines the needs and weaknesses of the region to build constructive relations. Another negative effect on russias ties with the middle east was russias aggression against chechen muslims and its stance favoring serbia against muslim bosnia.
Why russia is threatening the us in syria geopolitical futures. Russias hand is visible everywhere in the middle east the. What vladimir putin really wants in the middle east. Oct 04, 2016 he used that time to rebuild russian power as well as possible and to assert its presence in the former soviet union.
There is good reason to broaden our understanding of russian strategy in the middle east. But beyond syria, a much broader strategic rationale for enhanced russianiranian partnership is taking shape, one focused not just on thwarting u. For their part, russian companies have interests in oil and gas projects in countries such as iraq, iran, saudi arabia, libya, algeria, and others. Russias foreign minister sergei lavrov said his countrys sale of weapons to syria would not upset the balance of power in the middle east. Ussr, russia relinquished its involvement in the middle east.
Russias strategic objectives in the middle east and north africa. Sep, 2016 but beyond syria, a much broader strategic rationale for enhanced russian iranian partnership is taking shape, one focused not just on thwarting u. Todays posited us interests in the middle east can be broken down into five areas. Both fear sunni jihadists such as al qaeda and islamic state since these are antirussian and antishia, as well as antiwestern and antiisraeli.
Syria allows us to make several conclusions about russian foreign policy beyond the middle east. The kremlin again sees russia as a great power on a global scale, and as such it cannot ignore a region so close geographically, so rich in hydrocarbons, and so unstable socially and politically as the middle east. Both fear their internal democratic opponents and believe that america supports them. There has been american and western interests in the middle east involving military, political and economic issues for at least 100 years from the united states, great britain and france. Some foreign ministries have been illequipped to deal with the multifaceted and fast moving events on the ground in the contemporary middle east, with particular reference to the transitions in egypt, libya and syria. Russias interests in the middle east and south asia. Russias involvement in syria has given its relatio ns with neighbouring countries a new momentum. Russia is pursuing a middle eastern policy that is designed to reduce u. Policy toward russia, ukraine, and eurasia project in the broader universe of moscows foreign policy, the middle east generally ranks after the united states, europe, and china and asia. Syria as an increasingly important trading hub for chinese interests in the middle east and africa. Russias reappearance as a player in the middle east under president vladimir putin has the aim of restoring the countrys position as a great power outside of the former ussr. Russia does not want destabilization in the middle east spilling over into the caucasus, central asia, and central russia, where there is a confluence of strong russian interests and islam. What vladimir putin really wants in the middle east a new book translates russias fears and hopes for syria, and the wider region, for an american audience. Russias many interests in syria the washington institute.
The collective input of the contributors identifies four categories of us national objectives in the middle east. Nov 18, 2015 what does russia really want in syria. It enables russia to pursue the limited objective of securing its military interests on the syrian coast, where the port of tartus is russias only remaining middle east base and where many dual russiansyrian citizens live. Apr 14, 2020 today, russia sees the arab spring as a threat because not only is it toppling regional allies and clients, but it seems to be an example to some of the russian protestors who have used some of the very same methods and technology to organize the protests in moscow, said paul du quenoy in this interview on russias relationship with the middle east. Russia s past and present policies in the region were and remain a function of its rivalry with the west, notably the united states. Nikolay kozhanov the current russian presence in the middle east is unprecedented for the region since the fall of the soviet union. Recently, russian political scientists have caused a lot of confusion amid public perception in regards to the middle eastern region, both knowingly and unknowingly. For over two centuries, russian foreign policy was focused on displacing the ottoman empire from the black sea region and the balkans. The author considers the kremlins diplomacy on syria within the broader system of russian foreign policy in the middle east.
Yet in contrast to europe, another region of longstanding. Israelirussian relations in syria focus on coordinating military activities and avoiding any incidents, such as turkeys recent shooting down of a russian airplane. Russian efforts to influence the middle east and counter u. Moscow has used its newfound influence in the middle east to thwart the u. It is a defensive policy aimed mainly at developing its traditional political and economic interests in the region and protecting its southern borders. Russian diplomatic effort that accompanied it, the middle east has become a key testing. The russian 1 bobo lo was the first to note this aspect of russias foreign policy. Russia has goals, but to western observers they appear to be either transactional or, in the longer term, generalizable to the point that they constitute broad precepts rather than global, regional, or statespecific strategies. The middle east 2017 4 ern syriaand the panels on both iran and russia raised doubts about the willingness of either moscow or tehran to continue to pour resources into syria to do so. He invaded georgia, an american client state, knowing that the united states lacked the force to respond, given iraq and afghanistan. Moscows objectives, priorities, and policy drivers. S l o w y o u g o m a t t e r h o w and the middle east i t d. Foreign policy in the middle east noam chomsky the topic i am addressing might be understood in two ways.
This perspective seeks to identify the important elements of russian interests in middle east beyond syria, to define the nature of russian engagement in the region, and to describe the contours of a russian strategy in the middle east. My work on these issues will result in a book on changing u. What vladimir putin really wants in the middle east foreign. Haftar met with russian officials in an effort to secure military support that would prepare for his control of libya. Turkeys geopolitical interests and middle east revolts, russian journal of international affairs. Recurring confrontations with the west are one of the main factors compelling russia to intensify its activities in the middle east. This book is the first to offer a comprehensive survey of moscows foreign policy interests in syria. Russia s po l i c y in t h e mi d d l e eas t pr o s p e c t. Pdf turkeys geopolitical interests and middle east revolts.
The russian deployment to syria likely supports multiple objectives. Russia also has economic interests in the middle east, including expanding economic ties with the region through arms sales, nuclear technology, and the oil and gas markets belei, marten, tashev, as well as supporting energy prices by coordination with principal oil and gas producers in the persian gulf tashev. If america is bogged down in a conflict in the middle east, it is unable to act elsewhere. The apparently poor performance of russian equipment during the persian gulf war discouraged many middle eastern states from buying russian arms. Imperial russia began asserting its interests in the region in the nineteenth century. Russia s po l i c y in t h e mi d d l e eas t pr o s p e c. Russian strategy in the middle east rand corporation. After all, russian air support helped syrian president bashar alassads regime regain the upper hand against the rebels in syria. Over the past several months, media reports have made it seem like russias influence is growing in the middle east. The geopolitical importance of the region, abundant energy resources and close proximity to the caucasus borders increase its value in the russian. The instrumentalization of energy and arms sales in russia. In order to categorize russias renewed interests of today, it will be helpful to identify the cold war interests in the horn of africa which is mentioned above.
Russias strategic objectives in the middle east and north. To provide a definite answer one must have a profound understanding of russias national interests in the middle east. Putin that russian interests lie in supporting a politi. This perspective seeks to identify the important elements of russian interests in the middle east beyond syria, to define the nature of russian engagement in the region, and to describe the contours of a russian strategy in the middle east. In general, russias as several interests in africa, and the horn of africa in particular. At the same time, angola placed a large arms order. Russias plan for the middle east the national interest. What we are seeing is a serious, sincere effort to reshape regional security dynamics and halt a wave of revolutionary upheaval deemed inimical to longterm russian interests. Russian foreign policy and the middle east beginning in 2005, russia noticeably increased its engagement in the middle east. Despite divergent interests, iran, turkey and israel cooperate with russia and acknowledge its leadership in syria. Karim mezran is resident senior fellow at the the mena region. There is good reason to broaden our understanding of. Russian access to these resources as part of an influence strategy, then moscow must find new sources of capital and technology unencumbered by strings that are designed to restrict or hamper its great power status or its ability to project influence and power. From 2005 to 2007, president vladimir putin visited egypt, israel, saudi arabia, jordan, qatar, turkey, iran, and the united arab emirates uae, and russia gained observer sta.
The upsurge of russian activism in the military, diplomatic and even economic spheres in the middle east raises the question of. Understanding russias new role in the middle east lawfare. Both fear sunni jihadists such as al qaeda and islamic state since these are anti russian and antishia, as well as antiwestern and antiisraeli. The middle east has been one of the most significant regions within the context of moscows foreign policy orientation. Back to a grand strategy or enforcing multilateralism. Even though russian relations with israel and us have weakened because of the russian policy in the middle east, russian influence in the middle east has increased. Rafik hariri center for the middle east at the atlantic council in washington, dc. S l o w y o u g o m a t t e r h o w and the middle east i. Arturo varvelli is senior research fellow and cohead of the middle east and north africa center at the italian institute for international political studies ispi in milan, italy. Russias curious relationship with the middle east from. Presentday russian activism in the middle east builds upon historical experience.
Russias hand is visible everywhere in the middle east. Russia and china share a number of interests in the middle east. Another problem for the western world is the relationship between russia and iran, but here russia has actually agreed on some terms to halt the iranian nuclear proses. With the start of the military intervention in syria in 2015, and the u.
Russian federation had to recreate a middle east policy from scratch. Because syria was key to the soviet position in the middle east, syrians were referred to as allies and friends in public broadcasts and statements. Current debates on russias growing role in the middle east sound like an echo of the early 1980s. The most important of them is that moscow is not afraid. The sales he stated are in line with the international law and in the interests of strengthening stability and maintaining security in regions close to russian borders, lavrov told reporters. Policy challenges i 11 the establishment of close relations with the radical camp in the region. Nov 18, 2019 russia and china share a number of interests in the middle east.
Its successor the soviet union worked for at least half a. In the broader universe of moscow s foreign policy, the middle east generally ranks after the united states, europe, and china and asia. Russias renewed interests in the horn of africa as a. All of this is not to dismiss russias expanding role in the middle east as foolhardy or destined for failure. They were produced in bipolar world rivalry and security approach of the cold war.
Sep 12, 2017 russias hand is visible everywhere in the middle east. The upsurge of russian activism in the military, diplomatic and even economic spheres in the middle east raises the question of whether moscow. Russias best asset in the middle east andrej kreutz november 2010. The middle easts role as an energy exporter directly. Concurrently, russia engaged in feverish activity in regional politics, at the. Today, russia sees the arab spring as a threat because not only is it toppling regional allies and clients, but it seems to be an example to some of the russian protestors who have used some of the very same methods and technology to organize the protests in moscow, said paul du quenoy in this interview on russias relationship with the middle east. Russias domestic political challenges which provide important underlying core drivers for russias middle east policies. While russia has had an interest in the middle east and south asia for centuries for instance, in the great game between the russian and british empires over afghanistan and central asia, the contemporary framework of moscows interests in. Dec 15, 2017 what vladimir putin really wants in the middle east a new book translates russias fears and hopes for syria, and the wider region, for an american audience. Several countries in the middle east also are among the few consumers of russian hightechnology exports. The middle east is encountered here as a constitutive element in the struggle to defeat chechen secessionism and to counter the broader threat of islamist extremism within the russian federation. Suchkov in 2015, moscow set an important precedent for its foreign policy when it decided to launch a largescale operation outside of what it.
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