Russian invests considerably in the oil sector in syria and is looking to. The linked russian politicalmilitary initiative in syria with a bombing campaign. Understanding russias intervention in syria rand corporation. Russias engagement in syria has highlighted the limits of american. The core russian interest is the military neutralization of ukraine. Careful distilling of statements by russian leaders and russias strategic documents would reveal there are several important national interests of russia at stake in. Russias strategic interest in syria themarketswork. In seeking to understand syrias importance, we first need to understand how the modern state gained its independence. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, but perhaps there is a key. The russian naval facility in tartus, syria, was established during the cold war under a 1971 agreement with syria.
The strikes constitute russia s biggest intervention in the middle east in decades. Russias activity in syria and support for bashar alassad since the outbreak of the civil war. Putins middle east game changer satellite imagery provided by allsource analysis confirms the recent arrival of russian main battle tanks, armored personnel carriers, helicopters, and other military equipment at an airbase in syria s coastal latakia province, indicating that russia has deployed troops inside syria. Russia and iran, the two main military allies and enablers of the syrian. However, the ministry downplayed the importance of the evacuation, with those. Syrias complex and devastating civil war has drawn in multiple foreign powers since it broke out in 2011. Another round of talks in sochi is planned for early next year. Underlying interests and policy objectives simon saradzhyan. It must be understood that syria neither is moscows ally nor is considered as such.
Doing so is the only way to stop the killing, end the flow of refugees to europe, and restore order. However, the syrian case, in russia regions of national interest is different from that of. An explanation for russias interest in syria analysis. Russias recent use of an iranian airbase to launch airstrikes into syria is the most recent evidence of the expedient strengthening of ties between russia and iran thanks to the syrian conflict. The domino effect of the arab spring in syria which began as a reaction against the regime of basher assad over the years has deteriorated into a civil war. Besides, syria is a crucial market for russian arms. Coronavirus crisis reaches syria in depth analysis on 22 march, government of syria health minister nizar yaziji announced the first official case. First, the current situation in syria is not a zerosum game. In springsummer 2015, russia and iran pursued an initiative for highlevel. But what is russias historical interest in syria, and why might it want to maintain a presence in that embattled land. Russia s best asset in the middle east andrej kreutz november 2010.
Russian operational planners ostensibly restricted the requirement for russian ground forces and focused instead on preparing and supporting syrian government and iranian forces for. August 10, 2012 september 10, 2017 observer research foundation 4 comments. Still, in the sphere of international relations, it is selfinterest, not friendship, that counts in the end. Russia s position on syria is very close to that of iran. 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. Syrias bashar alassad is russias only ally in the mediterranean. Iraqi officials also demonstrated a strong interest to cooperate with russia in fighting with isis. Occasional paper understanding irans role in the syrian. Few however, recall the remainder of that 1939 adage. Russian strategy in syria and the broader middle east consists of supporting what it considers legitimate institutions through extensive foreign aid programs, including economic and security assistance, political support and, as seen in syria, direct military intervention. Its unanticipated military foray into syria has transformed.
Think of syria as a proxy war two powerful nations unwilling to risk the massive destruction that would accompany a direct conflict. Syria update 23 march 2020 table of contents download pdf version share on facebook share on twitter share on linkedin share on print share on email share on whatsapp no spitting, no fighting. Since 2000, putin has sought to restore russia as a great power, shaping its policy as an antiamerican zerosum game in order to position the country as a counterweight to the west in the middle east. Iran signed an agreement with iraq and syria to run a pipeline from irans north pars through iraq, across syria to the russiancontrolled syrian port of tartous and through the mediterranean to europe. Putins power play in syria how to respond to russia s intervention angela stent a t the end of september, russia began conducting air strikes in syria, ostensibly to combat terrorist groups. Russias many interests in syria middle east voices. There are several reasons for russia to care about whats happening in syria, here are the most significant. There are over 2,000 radical islamists or terrorists born in russia mainly from north caucasus that are fighting in syria. 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.
Elie abouaoun explains how the turkish and russian governments are trying to contain the fallout, saying i do not think any party has an interest right now in provoking a. There are reasons to believe that this rapprochement will strengthen over time, but it may reach a point of conflict of interest in the distant future. With europes largest muslim population,1 russia wants to have good relations with the centers of the. Ministry as stating that 50 russian aircraft and 2,000 marines had been deployed to syria. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. The scale of moscows involvement in syria has triggered speculation in the west of a military buildup.
Russias vital national interests at stake in syria. Russian aircraft began bombing missions against opponents of the assad regime at the end of september 2015. Why russia is suddenly interested in syrias civil war. It will provide a brief analysis of the reasons and interests for. Syria in russias foreign policy in the 21st century pan lublin. Syria is russia s most important foothold in the region and a key to putins calculus. In syria, russias stakes in president bashar alassads regime were clearly significant. The interests of the kremlin in the case of syria, however, are fed by a mixture of fear, mistrust and geopolitics. Despite their alliance, russia has never had much influence over syrias policies. This book is the first to offer a comprehensive survey of moscows foreign policy interests in syria.
Putins middle east game changer satellite imagery provided by allsource analysis confirms the recent arrival of russian main battle tanks, armored personnel carriers, helicopters, and other military equipment at an airbase in syrias coastal latakia province, indicating that russia has deployed troops inside syria. The new york times reported that at least four russian nationals and perhaps dozens more were among those killed in a recent u. It assesses irans political, security and economic. War resurgence between russia and the euroatlantic community. For the full list of papers and free download, please visit eudp. If russia does have a longstanding security concern in the region, it is the spread of international terrorism to russia and neigh boring states. Russian soldiers on armored vehicles patrol a street on 2 february 2017 in aleppo, syria.
Some of them also point to russian cultural connections with syria and the substantial russianspeaking community living. In the aftermath of world war ii, the territory of modern syria belonged, as a colony, to france. In pursuit of maintaining their interests in syria, moscow and tehran have adopted different. Pdf when the arab spring reached syria, its pharaoh, bashar alassad, was in no mood to give up easily. A logic all its own russian operational art in the syrian. One type of rus sian aircraft deployed to syria, the su30is capable of engaging other aircraft in addition to ground targets. As the war in syria grinds on into its third year, support among the american public for more robust u. Their secondary interests are some degree of autonomy in the east and some settlement on crimea that gives russia more extensive rights there than it had before.
Russias interest in syria is very much a political statement to the west to projectan image of russias strength. In the arab east, syria, probably one of the most independent countries from the west, has had close and wellestablished relations with moscow for a long time. 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. The paper investigates the diplomatic dimensions of the syrian conflict and pays attention to the conflict of interests amongst the major powers most especially the united states and russia. Thomas points to optimistic versus pessimistic russian views on how the recent us election will impact us policy in syria. Russian strategy in the middle east rand corporation. Pdf the battle between the usa and russia that had been snuffed by the demise of the soviet union has been rekindled. 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. Can russia translate victories on the battlefield into longlasting influence in the middle east region.
Only once a russian president has visited syria, dmitry medvedev in 2010. The diplomatic dimensions of the syrian conflict faith. However, instead of analyzing russian president vladimir putins motivations for the operation in syria, us experts should focus their attention on current realities that both russia and the us are facing in syria today, pillar wrote. A syria at peace would become less of a breeding ground for islamic extremism and pose less threat to the outside world. Russian and american interests in syria nuclear diner. Preserve access of russian companies to syrias market to ensure. The effects of russian intervention in the syria crisis 3 overview in springsummer 2015, russia and iran pursued an initiative for highlevel international talks, aimed at keeping president bashar alassad or at least elements of his regime in place as part of a political transition in syria. A few weeks before russiansupported syrian troops broke the jihadi groups three. The effects of russian intervention in the syria crisis. But israel does have critical security interests that it seeks to advance in syria principally, minimizing iranian and russian influence in syria, blocking the transfer of advanced weapons to hezbollah, preventing syria from posing a credible military threat to israel or permitting iran to do so, undermining the legitimacy of syrias claims. After direct military confrontations between the assad regime and turkey in syrias idlib province, usips dr.
Despite their alliance, russia has never had much influence over syria s policies. Russian diplomatic effortswith the possible exceptions of some oilproducing countries, most importantly saudi arabia. It may be useful to list probable russian and american interests in syrias ongoing civil war in what might be considered a realist analysis. Optimistically, some feel that the election of donald trump may diminish the us security threat, offer russia new opportunities in the region, and thus allow russia to prioritize other interests than it has been. A historical study from the russian perspectives international journal of humanities social sciences and education ijhsse page 9 countries in the region16 putin. The united states second main interest is to end the civil war. The author considers the kremlins diplomacy on syria within the broader system of russian foreign policy in the middle east.
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