Russias intervention has served to reveal the inability of the current administration and its republican alternatives to bring. 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. While russia and turkey have created and maintained a relatively stable status quo regarding their opposing interests, their interests only align in not impeding on each others interests. Nov 18, 2015 second, military involvement in syria is a very serious test for russias ties in the region. Another round of talks in sochi is planned for early next year. Russia is completing the construction of the bushehr nuclear power plant in iran, and has similar plans for 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. Russia maintains a small naval base in tartus, the only russian base in the mediterranean sea. Think of syria as a proxy war two powerful nations unwilling to risk the massive destruction that would accompany a direct conflict. In a region dominated by prous regimes, syria represents a critical. Israel also remains under threat of crossborder attacks, in particular as hezbollah plays a greater role in the fighting. Russias position on syria is very close to that of iran. In the past few weeks, russia has been increasing its deployment of military forces to the air base near latakia, in the northwest of syria. Russia s success in imposing its agenda in syria has bolstered its influence throughout the wider region.
Prior to direct russian intervention it had appeared the assad regime would. Indicators of change might include troop movement or alteration in leader discourse. Despite their alliance, russia has never had much influence over syria s policies. Oct 14, 2015 what russias intervention reveals about americas syria strategy. The center promotes the rigorous study of modernday russia and eurasia through objective analysis, academic publications and public events geared towards audiences on. 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. What russias intervention reveals about americas syria. In pursuit of maintaining their interests in syria, moscow and tehran have adopted different. A logic all its own russian operational art in the syrian. Beginning of joint action by parties to the ceasefire against isis, aq, etc. Israel also remains under threat of crossborder attacks, in particular. Cultural connections moscow has counted an assadled syria as its closest ally in the arab world for more than forty years. From soviet times, russia has been a major arms exporter to the region. Syrias location bordering the mediterranean, israel, lebanon, turkey, jordan, and iraq makes it too important to lose.
Russia has already maintained a modest naval refueling station in syrias port city of tartus since the end of the cold war. Chaos and fragmentation within syria are creating wider openings for interests hostile to the u. Israels interests and options in syria larry hanauer d espite efforts by the united states, europe, turkey, and iraq to keep the syrian civil war contained within that countrys borders, the instability that the conflict has created has spilled over into the region and beyond. The meaning of russias campaign in syria the belfer center for. While some iranian elites may share that goal, the prevailing israeli view on irans syrian presence misreads actual iranian objectives and tehrans current prioritization of interests in syria. Understanding russias intervention in syria rand corporation. The syria war has now entered its 8th year with international and regional powers all trying to secure their interests. Russia has an embassy in damascus and syria has an embassy in moscow.
Russiasyria relations refers to the bilateral relationship between russia and syria. What russias intervention reveals about americas syria strategy. Moscow, however, still suffered from the socalled afghan syndrome that preceded the collapse of the soviet empire. Syria, yemen, iraq, algeria, and libya did indeed at various moments show interest in the soviet model, and some of them spoke favorably about marxism. On 30 september 2015, russia approved a request by president putin to launch. 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. What could change is how russia prioritizes its interests in the wake of the us election and change in administration. Despite divergent interests, iran, turkey and israel cooperate with russia and acknowledge its leadership in syria. Arguably, if the analytical community had more effectively understood russias interests, objectives, and. Russian and american interests in syria nuclear diner.
There are over 2,000 radical islamists or terrorists born in russia mainly from north caucasus that are fighting in syria. On september 30, 2015, russia officially joined the fight in syria with a series of airstrikes. Russias foreign policy towards syria and the greater middle east is generally not. Its mission is to be an analytical, researchled global forum for informing, influencing and. On 30 september 2015, russia approved a request by president putin to. Russias economy interests behind its risky military move in. Occasional paper understanding irans role in the syrian conflict. Russia has also played a key role in syrias monetary system. Russias strategic interest in syria themarketswork. Instead, iran doubled down in syria, sending more militia fighters and even convincing russia to intervene directly as assads army wobbled in the summer of 2015.
Russias many interests in syria the washington institute. Russias intervention in syria has introduced a dangerous new dynamic into an already volatile and complex conflict. There are several reasons for russia to care about whats happening in syria, here are the most significant. The center promotes the rigorous study of modernday russia and eurasia through objective analysis, academic publications and public events geared towards audiences on both sides of the atlantic. The russian deployment to syria likely supports multiple objectives. Power, prestige, and profit azuolas bagdonas1 abstract despite the crimes against humanity committed by bashar assads regime in syria and despite the growing international pressure, russia provided steadfast international. Careful distilling of statements by russian leaders and russias strategic documents would reveal there are several important national interests of russia at stake in syria, including. In syria, russias stakes in president bashar alassads regime were clearly. Iran is building a controlled corridor from iraq through syria to lebanon that will provide direct access to the israeli border.
Eliminating them in syria is better then waiting for them to return to russia. Further, both support the assad regime in syria, which is also both antiamerican and antisunni jihadist. Russias involvement in syria has given its relatio ns with neighbouring countries a new momentum. Another reason for putin to support assad involves developments within russia. Moscow worked to build diplomatic and cultural ties, especially in syria and palestine, to create constituencies on which it could later rely for support. Syria as an increasingly important trading hub for chinese interests in the. Middle eastern affairs are in a state of constant flux, and grow even more so every year. Russia and iran, the two main military allies and enablers of the syrian. Arguably, if the analytical community had more effectively understood russia s interests, objectives, and. In contrast to accounts that emphasize russias longterm. Russia and the arab spring alexey malashenko october 20. The meeting between iran, turkey, and russia in astana, kazakhstan on january 2324, in advance of the next round of u. At the same time, moscows heavyhanded attempts to tighten its grip over eastern ukraine were accompanied by waves of.
Since 2012, russia has been printing syrian pounds and flying them to syria to allow the government to pay public sector salaries in spite of rapidly declining reserves. How to salvage us interests in syria fair observer. Syria was a somewhat more promising choice than egypt4 indeed, after egyptian president sadats break with the soviet bloc and alliance with the us in the 1970s, moscows assistance to damascus reached its peak. Many in the western policy community were surprised by russia s actions. Russia has ports at tartus and latakia and a small airbase at latakia. Oct 21, 2015 russias intervention in syria has introduced a dangerous new dynamic into an already volatile and complex conflict. Russias economy interests behind its risky military move. Russia has long supported syria and the assad regime and has assisted assad politically, financially and with military aid since the beginning of the syrian conflict. In this july 2017 file photo, president trump meets with russian president vladimir putin at a g20 summit in hamburg.
In the nineteenth century, czarist russia began asserting its geo strategic, economic, religious, and cultural interests in the middle east as framed by its competition with the west. This book is the first to offer a comprehensive survey of moscows foreign policy interests in syria. During the last month, russia held channels of communication wide open with egypt, jordan, turkey, kuwait, saudi arabia and israel. The center on global interests cgi is a 501c3 nonprofit foreignpolicy research institution founded in 2012. Apr 12, 2017 russia has long supported syria and the assad regime and has assisted assad politically, financially and with military aid since the beginning of the syrian conflict. Russia has vowed to replace what it sees as a coercive u.
Two events indicate russias delicate military position in syria. Syria and analyzes its interest in supporting the regime. May 10, 2018 while some iranian elites may share that goal, the prevailing israeli view on irans syrian presence misreads actual iranian objectives and tehrans current prioritization of interests in syria. Russian stroytransgaz was building a natural gas processing plant 200 kilometres east of homs in the alraqqa region and the company was involved in technical. Iran, syria, algeria, and other countries continue. Russias only mediterranean naval base for its black sea fleet is located in the syrian port.
Syria was a soviet client in the days of the soviet union. When russia intervened in the middle east, syria found itself in a hobbesian state of nature with thousands of groups fighting each other and the islamic state emerging as the worlds biggest bogeyman. Second, military involvement in syria is a very serious test for russias ties in the region. Occasional paper understanding irans role in the syrian. Russia has significant economic interests in syria. Yet moscows reset with ankara is not primarily directed at the west. A cheat sheet1 1 causes of the syrian civil war discontent with authoritarianism and assad familys long reign of power in syria since the 1970s syria is 74% sunni, but the assad family is part of a shia sect known as the alawites. Syria is russias most important foothold in the region and a key to putins calculus. Russia and syria oxford academic journals oxford university press.
Russia s involvement in syria has given its relatio ns with neighbouring countries a new momentum. Both the russian federation and the united states have strong interests at stake in syria,and these interests overlap in part, but not completely both the united states and russia seek to ensure a stable and unified syria, though the two countries disagree on how to achieve this. Despite their alliance, russia has never had much influence over syrias policies. Syria as an increasingly important trading hub for chinese interests in the middle east and africa. Apr, 2018 the syria war has now entered its 8th year with international and regional powers all trying to secure their interests. Policy toward iraq conflict of interests and limits of dissent ponars policy memo 249 ekaterina stepanova institute of world economy and international relations october 2002 russias interests in and policy toward iraq throughout much of the 1990s, the united states could not rely on the support of any ally except. Iraqi officials also demonstrated a strong interest to cooperate with russia in fighting with isis. Syrias bashar alassad is russias only ally in the mediterranean.
What russia and iran have accomplished in syria is important for american national security interests and policy in the region because it frames some of the hard choices washington faces. The author considers the kremlins diplomacy on syria within the broader system of russian foreign policy in the middle east. Russias policy on syria after the start of military engagement. A summit between putin and trump will take place in helsinki on july 16. As syria is the nexus of russias campaign to expand its regional influence, the. Russia enjoys a historically strong, stable, and friendly relationship with syria, as it did until the arab spring with most of the arab countries. Second, russian material interests in bilateral relations with syria and its geopolitical interests in the regional power play around syria are scrutinized. Russias policy on syria after the start of military. Many in the western policy community were surprised by russias actions. On november 22, the leaders of iran, russia, and turkey met in the russian resort town of sochi to discuss syrias future, and on november 28, the latest round of unsponsored talks between representatives of syrian president bashar alassad and the opposition began in geneva. But despite these and many other common interests, moscow also differs with tehran on several important issues. Rather than advancing its selfproclaimed objective of fighting terrorism. During all the ups and downs in the present crises engulfing middle east, one thing has remained the same the unflinching support of russia for its longtime ally syrias bashar.
Negotiation of a constitutional reform but syria remains secular. Russia officially launched its airstrikes in syria in september 2015. Russian stroytransgaz was building a natural gas processing plant 200 kilometres east of homs in the alraqqa region and the company was involved in technical support for the construction of the arab gas pipeline. Even so, in 2015, turkey shot down a russian military aircraft on the syrian border, drawing moscows ire and temporary economic sanctions. How and why russia and china are supporting syrias. Russia and turkey in syria russian president vladimir putin l and turkish president recep tayyip erdogan r wait to enter a hall during their meeting at the bocharov ruchei residence in the black sea resort of sochi, in sochi, on september 17, 2018. Russia is unlikely to change its position given that its interests in syria are not only military and strategic, but also commercial and cultural.
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