Russian diplomatic effort that accompanied it, the middle east has become a key testing. Director and associate professor at the middle east center, school of global affairs and public policy, the american university in cairo. Yet its motivations, decisionmaking processes and strategic objectives remain hard to pin down. The journal of international scientific researches. The purpose of the trip was to impress and deceive the ambassadors regarding the true power capacity of russia prior to a new war against the sublime porte. Russias historical ties to the middle east russias relationship to the arab world has gone through several distinct phases. Russia is a founding member of the contact group and since the denver summit in june 1997 a member of the g8. Moscow has reestablished political ties with its former allies, such as syria. 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 is pursuing a middle eastern policy that is designed to reduce u. The institute for national security studies inss, incorporating the jaffee.
As the soviet union reaches strategic parity with the united states, there is growing temptation for it to assert its strength in an area so much nearer. Get your free copy here in 1787, the russian empress catherine ii visited crimea with several european ambassadors. Pdf on feb 1, 2019, tristan kenderdine and others published russia s middle east policy. Despite the changes in middle eastern policy throughout russias recent history. Soviet policy in the middle east 59 the first time ever the soviet union gained an activ e role in defending the gcc states a role that had exclusively belonged to the united states and britain. Russias early years, as well as economic and social crises, have led to a certain degree of loss of former activity in foreign policy. Anna borshchevskaya is the ira weiner fellow at the washington institute, focusing on russia s policy toward the middle east. Especially in certain regions where the middle east is also involved and has given great importance before, it is far from its former activity. Russianchinese relations have been the axis of russias east asian foreign policy, though the relations have not been without their challenges.
Russian and middle eastern open sources and published rand research. Sovietpoliciesinthemiddleeast download sovietpoliciesinthemiddleeast ebook pdf or read online. Russias turn to east asia under putin around the time of the crimea crisis, china and russia reached significant agreements in the areas of economic cooperation, as exemplified by the may 2014 natural gas agreement reportedly worth usd 400 billion rt 2014. Russia, china and the shanghai cooperation organization. Globalism, regionalism and the middle east aysegul sever 16 2. This book is the first to offer a comprehensive survey of moscows foreign policy interests in syria.
Ultimately, for moscow it is a matter of acquiring leverage to improve russias room to maneuver in the arabmuslim world and to. Russia is in the middle east to stay foreign policy. United states foreign policy in the middle east after the cold war jonathan cristol 48 4. Presoviet russia, or the russian empire, did not have any major aims and ambitions in the arab middle east, save for protecting the orthodox churchs interests in palestine. Today, more than ever, this deeplytroubled region is the focus of power games between major global players vying for international influence. This paper analyzes contemporary russian foreign policy toward the middle east. This extraordinary book charts the development of russias relations with the middle east from the russian revolution of 1917 to the present. Wheeler, russia and the middle east, international affairs, volume 35, issue 3, july 1959. The poll focuses on american attitudes toward the middle east, including the israelipalestinian conflict, iran, and russias role in the region.
Russian foreign policy in the middle east association of. Since the demise of the soviet union, russias foreign policy has evolved from a westernoriented one to a multidimensional one, with substantial focus on east asia. Russian strategy in the middle east rand corporation. Russian political analyst aleksandr vedrussov salutes the pragmatic russian middle east policy that has restored russias status as a major power in the region. In the broader universe of moscows foreign policy, the middle east generally ranks after the united states, europe, and china and asia. Russias middle east energy diplomacy foreign affairs. Sep 19, 2019 russias response to the recent drone attack on saudi aramco oil facilities speaks volumes about its place in the middle east. With the start of the military intervention in syria in 2015, and the u. Russia seeks to be able to effectively influence and shape outcomes, but a lack of means limits what it can achieve.
Soviet middle eastern foreign policy during the cold war. Written by one of russias leading arabists who was himself involved in the formation and implementation of policy, the book is engagingly written, extremely insightful, telling us things which only the author is in a position to tell us, and remarkably frank, not sparing senior soviet and russian figures from criticism. Russia talks with everybody and this has already garnered tangible gains in arms sales and the control of commodity prices. Russian foreign policy and the middle east beginning in 2005, russia noticeably increased its engagement in the middle east. Largely absent from the middle east for the better part of the previous two decades, russia intervened to save bashar alassads regime and reasserted itself as a major player in the regions power politics. Russia s multifaceted diplomatic relations and recent interventionist trend are likely to be superseded by longerterm. Concurrently, russia engaged in feverish activity in regional politics, at the. The soviets were a strongman in the middle east, interceding to maintain tensions as a distraction to the west. Russia does have extensive economic interests in the middle east, and especially in syria. Absent from this scene for the past quarter century, russia is now back with gusto. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app.
In addition, she is a fellow at the european foundation for democracy and was previously with the peterson institute for international economics and the atlantic council. Moscows policy changed after the yom kippur war as it used its client states to act out aggression toward the west in the iraniraq war. From lenin to putin durham modern middle east and islamic world series. As the soviet union reaches strategic parity with the united states, there is growing temptation for it to assert its strength in an area so. The implications of the syrian war for new regional orders in the middle east rami g. Download pdf sovietpoliciesinthemiddleeast free online. Providing this country, with an impressive array of possibilities mostly associated with superpower status. According to the sipri arms transfers database calculations are the authors own, the value of russian arms exports to algeria, which used. Shibley telhami has conducted a public opinion poll which examines american attitudes toward the middle east, including the israelipalestinian conflict, iran, and russias role in the region. Russias policy towards the middle east and asia, although ostensibly aimed at improving relations with these countries, aims to create leverage that can affect the behaviour of the us and eu, and mitigate the negative effects of ongoing confrontation between. 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 russia s relationship with the middle east. Russias middle east policy in the context of postcold war. Six factors are identified as most critical to russian foreign policy in the region.
Russias middle eastern policy osrodek studiow wschodnich. Russias response to the recent drone attack on saudi aramco oil facilities speaks volumes about its place in the middle east. Prior to the arab spring, algeria, syria, and libya regularly. The soviet union used its relationship with europe to gain economic cooperation with the arab world during the cold war and its influence in the middle east by inciting proxy conflicts between the arab states and their jewish neighbors. Postsovietrussian foreign policy toward tha middle east 233 portunity to playa larger role in the region was the rise of arab nationalism. However, following the 911 attacks and in particular after the arab spring putins russia saw in the middle easts volatile condition as an excellent opportunity to expand its influence.
Russia considers better relations with middle eastern countries a means to avoid international isolation, to compensate for the negative effects of. The most important spheres are sales of military equipment and energy. A brief guide to russias return to the middle east. This is an excerpt from conflict and diplomacy in the middle east. Middle east states use russia as an alternative and a signal to the west. Access to the middle east, india and southeast asia by rail would be possible by connecting the missing links, and its. Associate research fellow, middle east and north africa centre, ispi italian institute for international political studies. Russia s early years, as well as economic and social crises, have led to a certain degree of loss of former activity in foreign policy. An unusual coming together of circumstances has reinvigorated russias middle east policy. The author considers the kremlins diplomacy on syria within the broader system of russian foreign policy in the middle east. Russias east asian policy is stimulated by its bid for great power status in the region. Dec 01, 2017 shibley telhami has conducted a public opinion poll which examines american attitudes toward the middle east, including the israelipalestinian conflict, iran, and russias role in the region. Download pdf since becoming president in 2000, vladimir putin has reinvigorated russias middle east ties, a trend underscored. 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.
Policy challenges i 11 the establishment of close relations with the radical camp in the region. The middle east is the second largest market for russian arms exports, exceeded only by south and southeast asia. The implications of the syrian war for new regional orders. Russias return to the middle east 9 nicu popescu and stanislav secrieru russia s regional perspective in mena the soviet union in the middle east. Russian foreign policy toward the middle east under putin and medvedev, though, is not so much that of an assertive great power as it is that of a prudent power pursuing relatively limited objectives. Islamic terrorism, arms transfers, natural resources, influence over former soviet spaces, general trade, and great power status. Russias curious relationship with the middle east from. 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. Professor, schar school of policy and government, george mason university. Robert mason director and associate professor at the middle east center, school of global affairs and public policy, the american university in cairo. Why russia supports repressive regimes in syria and the. The superpowers interacted with proxy combatants, which factored into the soviet unions omission from the camp david accords. Progress on russias eastern gas strategy since then has been sluggish. Had the crisis occurred several years ago, few would have cared.
Once again the middle east seems fated to become the main danger zone of world politics. Back to a grand strategy or enforcing multilateralism. The decision to increase russia s presence in the middle east was also determined by economic drivers. Russia is making a concerted effort to reclaim its role as the arms supplier of choice for arab governments. For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription. It covers both high and low points the closeness to nassers egypt, followed by reversal. Show full abstract russia are suggested with a focus to the unified korea. Russias return to the middle east european union institute for. With the ascension to power of xi jinping in 2012 as president of china and the diplomatic and economic isolation of russia in the wake of the 2014 annexation of crimea, what has changed is the more pronounced shift in position in. Russian foreign policy in the middle east under putin. Nov 23, 2018 the middle east was never at the top of the russian or the soviet agenda until the arrival of putin. Russias middle east policy in the context of postcold. Russia the washington institute for near east policy. Pdf russias middle east policy in the context of postcold war.
Russian influence in the middle east american security project. Khouri is visiting professor of media studies, journalist in residence, and senior public policy fellow at the american university of beirut aub. Russia considers better relations with middle eastern countries a means to avoid international isolation, to compensate for the negative effects of international sanctions and to put additional pressure on the west. Since the rise of putin, russia has also been pursuing an active foreign policy in the middle east. The decision to increase russias presence in the middle east was also determined by economic drivers. Mar 16, 2018 given the current circumstances, this is a difficult task, but unless congress and the white house get serious about the russian threat, they will hand parts of the middle east over to moscow in. 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. In addition to negotiating a may 2014 deal for russias gazprom company to supply up to 38 billion cubic meters of gas to china national petroleum corporation for 30 years, china became a source of loans for oil and liquefied natural gas lng projects aimed at its market. In light of the new reality, concrete changes in russias middle east policies have begun. Includes bibliographical references pages 273285 and index the end of the soviet union precipitated a reassessment of russia s foreign policy in many parts of the world, none more so than in the middle east. American fatigue in the middle east from 15 years of conflict and a genuine lack of clarity regarding u. Russian policy across the middle east chatham house. Russias multifaceted diplomatic relations and recent interventionist trend are likely to be superseded by longerterm. The end of the soviet union precipitated a reassessment of russias foreign policy in many parts of the world, none more so than in the middle east.
During the last decade the eastwest detente has prevented a headon collision between the superpowers there, but many signs point to impending changes. The strategic relationship of russia and iran washington institute for near east policy, 2001, 73, 823. With rare exceptions, these principles are shown to guide russian foreign policy in the middle east. Given the current circumstances, this is a difficult task, but unless congress and the white house get serious about the russian threat, they will hand parts of the middle east over to moscow in. The 2015 russian military intervention in syria was a pivotal moment for moscows middle east policy. Russia in the middle east motives, consequences, prospects. Russias return to the middle east 9 nicu popescu and stanislav secrieru russias regional perspective in mena the soviet union in the middle east. Setting aside the spectacle of trumps extremely impulsive approach to managing u.
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