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. Postsovietrussian foreign policy toward tha middle east 233 portunity to playa larger role in the region was the rise of arab nationalism. 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. In the coming multipolar world order, russia is mindful of the growing importance of countries such as. 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. Russia the only major power not dependent on the middle east for its energy supplies has re establish ed economic links and develop ed new interests in the region, including cooperation with israel in information technology, communications, energy, and the diamo nd trade, and military. Islamic terrorism, arms transfers, natural resources, influence over former soviet spaces, general trade, and great power status. From the russian perspective, the middle east serves as a region where moscow can showcase its mil itary prowess and geopolitical weight, and elevate its 3 carole nakhle, russias energy diplomacy in the middle east. American attitudes on trumps foreign policy a public opinion poll by shibley telhami. Coordination with the energyproducing states of the middle east is vital to russia s plans to utilize oil and gas revenues for its own. This paper analyzes contemporary russian foreign policy toward the middle east.
Anna borshchevskaya is the ira weiner fellow at the washington institute, focusing on russia s policy toward the middle east. Why russia supports repressive regimes in syria and the. 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. Russias strategic objectives in the middle east and north. Nikolay kozhanov the current russian presence in the middle east is unprecedented for the region since the fall of the soviet union. Arab nationalism was highly antiwesterndue to western colonization of the arab world as well as support for israel and prowesternarab monar chies. Russia is pursuing a middle eastern policy that is designed to reduce u. Vladimir putins russia is losing power in the middle east. Turkeys ability to import additional volumes of gas to meet the growing demand as well as to renew the contracts after their expiration in the 2020s is fraught with daily send out capacity constraints of the bota s system entry points and legal. The decision to increase russia s presence in the middle east was also determined by economic drivers.
The soviets were a strongman in the middle east, interceding to maintain tensions as a distraction to the west. Many observers believe that the greatest damage russia has done to u. Shibley telhami has conducted a public opinion poll which examines american attitudes toward the middle east, including the israelipalestinian conflict, iran, and russia s role in the region. 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. The united states foreign policy toward the middle east before world war i american trade with the middle east dates back more than two hundred years.
Russia in the middle east motives, consequences, prospects. Russian strategy in the middle east rand corporation. This book is the first to offer a comprehensive survey of moscows foreign policy interests in syria. Similar to china, russia is becoming one among few countries that will pursue an independent foreign policy course and play a significant role in a number of key regionseurope, northeast asia, and the socalled greater middle eastthe areas with predominantly muslim populations southward from russia. Six factors are identified as most critical to russian foreign policy in the region. Putins apparent victories in spreading russian influence are mirages, some of which have come at a great cost. Concurrently, russia engaged in feverish activity in regional politics, at the. Progress on russias eastern gas strategy since then has been sluggish. Turkey, iran, and saudi arabia, whom it sees as key. Russia the washington institute for near east policy. 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. The russian economy and arms exports to the middle east.
Russia being one of the major super powers in the region not only ceased to view the middle east as the secondary important player and develop much interest in the region based on its interest and. Russia is in the middle east to stay council on foreign. Eu and suppliers in the middle east, central asia and russia. The foundations of russian policy in the middle east. American fatigue in the middle east from 15 years of conflict and a genuine lack of clarity regarding u. The 2015 russian military intervention in syria was a pivotal moment for moscows middle east policy.
Policy congressional research service 1 enduring u. He also works as an expert at the institute of the middle east in moscow. Vasiliev notes that sovietiranian relations improved after 1963, when the shah promised not to allow us missiles to be based in iran. Pdf at the beginning of the 1990s, the greatest change in the international political system was the state soviet union that was most affected. The foreign policy positions expressed by trump during his presidential. 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. He has served as a visiting fellow with the washington institute for near east policy and academy associate at chatham house in london. Sep, 2016 exactly how far russias resurgence in the middle east will ultimately go remains to be seen, as do the potential strategic ramifications for u. The stated aims of the foreign policy of the donald trump administration include a focus on security, by fighting terrorists abroad and strengthening border defenses and immigration controls. Russia seeks to be able to effectively influence and shape outcomes, but a lack of means limits what it can achieve. 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. Pdf on feb 1, 2019, tristan kenderdine and others published russia s middle east policy. Nikolay kozhanov is a senior lecturer in political economy of the middle east at the school of economics of st. An unusual coming together of circumstances has reinvigorated russia s middle east policy.
Goals amid regional change1 uprisings and political change in the arab world challenge many of the assumptions that have long informed u. 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. Policy congressional research service 2 actors to influence middle eastern partners and politicalmilitary outcomes. Schmierer moderating and executive director thomas r. Here, we want to discover whether russia s position in the middle east is due to the failure of neoconservative americans or an innovative policy in the region. The following is an edited transcript of the ninetyninth in a series of capitol hill conferences convened by the middle east policy council. An unusual coming together of circumstances has reinvigorated russias middle east policy. 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. I will focus on president vladimir putins efforts to return russia to the middle east and especially highlight.
American attitudes on trumps foreign policy survey methodology the survey was carried out november 16, 2017 online from a nationally representative sample of nielsen scarboroughs probabilitybased panel, originally recruited by mail and. Trump has made a number of consequential foreign policy decisions throughout his presidency, including, his reversals and reevaluations of the u. Russias curious relationship with the middle east from. After the collapse of the soviet union, it took a while for russia to recover from an existential crisis. Russia middle east policy gulf middle east media research. In the broader universe of moscows foreign policy, the middle east generally ranks after the united states, europe, and china and asia. Nevertheless, what this incident demonstrated is that russian policy towards the middle east is mediated through two key external non middle eastern prisms. The middle east is one of the regions of the world where russia can demonstrate its relevance as an agendasetting power, and into which russia can credibly project a modicum of military power. 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. Congressional research service summary armed conflict in syria. Records of diplomatic and political contacts show increased exchanges of multilevel delegations between russia and the main regional. The author considers the kremlins diplomacy on syria within the broader system of russian foreign policy in the middle east. Ultimately, for moscow it is a matter of acquiring leverage to improve russias room to maneuver in the arabmuslim world and to.
United states foreign policy in the middle east after the cold war jonathan cristol 48 4. 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. Secrieru, russias return to the middle east, chaillot paper 146, euiss paris. Russian foreign policy and the middle east beginning in 2005, russia noticeably increased its engagement in the middle east. Nov 09, 2017 on october 27, political analyst aleksandr vedrussov published an article in the prokremlin russian newspaper izvestia, titled the middle east rubicon, explaining why the gulf countries have changed their views on moscow. Russia is losing in the middle east and around the world. The russian intervention in the middle east stands in stark contrast to the policy of the eu. With putins approval rating falling to year low and russia s economy stagnating, the kremlins powerful presence in the middle east today in some ways echoes the beginning of the mikhail. Russia does have extensive economic interests in the middle east, and especially in syria. Foreign policy of the donald trump administration wikipedia. This article was originally published here on on friday, march 16, 2018 when russia intervened in syria in. Russias middle east energy diplomacy foreign affairs.
The state of the russian economy is a function of its soviet past, and the structure that the soviets built was a response to their geopolitical position, strongly in. Ultimately, for moscow it is a matter of acquiring leverage to improve russia s room to maneuver in. Although there is no question that moscows meddling in american elections is deeply worrying, it is just one aspect of the threat russia poses. Pdf russias middle east policy in the context of postcold war. Putin of russia has stepped in, expanding moscows influence in the middle east and seeking to regain influence lost with the collapse of the soviet union, the end of the. 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 return to the middle east 9 nicu popescu and stanislav secrieru russia s regional perspective in mena the soviet union in the middle east. The decision to increase russias presence in the middle east was also determined by economic drivers.
A renewal of russian leadership russia is seemingly not willing to limit its mandate solely to the protection of orthodox christians. Get your free copy here in 1787, the russian empress catherine ii visited crimea with several european ambassadors. The meeting was held on january 17, 2020, in the russell senate office building with ambassador richard j. S l o w y o u g o m a t t e r h o w and the middle east i.
As one of the poles of the global system during the cold war, the soviet regime lost its raison detre after the collapse of the ussr, while the other pole, the u. Under vladimir putin, russia has embarked on a systematic challenge to the west. The middle east is the second largest market for russian arms exports, exceeded only by south and southeast asia. Russia is in the middle east to stay foreign policy. Russia considers better relations with middle eastern countries a means to avoid international isolation, to compensate for the negative effects of. This is an excerpt from conflict and diplomacy in the middle east. Moscows objectives, priorities, and policy drivers dmitri trenin about the author dmitri trenin is director of the carnegie moscow center, and has been with the center since its inception. Response since its start in 2011, the syria conflict has presented significant policy challenges for the united states.
In fact, commercial contacts between smyrna an ancient city in turkey and boston began as early as 1767, when smyrna products most notably figs appeared in america. The purpose of the institute for national security studies is first, to conduct basic. With the start of the military intervention in syria in 2015, and the u. Russian policy across the middle east chatham house. Russia is making a concerted effort to reclaim its role as the arms supplier of choice for arab governments. The most important spheres are sales of military equipment and energy. Soviet middle eastern foreign policy during the cold war. According to the author, russia has crossed the rubicon in its relation with middle east countries. Globalism, regionalism and the middle east aysegul sever 16 2. 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. The limits of russian strategy in the middle east rand corporation. Russias political, diplomatic, military and economic footprint in the middle east.
Middle east states use russia as an alternative and a signal to the west. Russian diplomatic effort that accompanied it, the middle east has become a key testing. The soviet union may have hoped that because it offered to protect the kuwaitis, other gcc states especially saudi ara. Perhaps if acting russian president vladimir putin is able to assert the power and authority of the central government, russia will continue to become a more responsible player in the middle east, acting with a greater sense of strategic vision. Providing this country, with an impressive array of possibilities mostly associated with superpower status. Policy challenges i 11 the establishment of close relations with the radical camp in the region. The eu and russia do not have the same view of syrias destiny.
Chairwoman roslehtinen, ranking member deutch, honorable members, thank you for the opportunity to testify today regarding russia s strategic objectives in the middle east and north africa. Russian foreign policy in the middle east under putin. Back to a grand strategy or enforcing multilateralism. Russia, first and foremost, supports the assad regime in syria militarily in order to preserve its interests in the region. The russian economy and arms exports to the middle east 11. Moscow has wider ambitions that encompass the entirety of christian communities of the middle east. Russian foreign policy in the middle east association of.
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