RUSSIA’S PURSUIT OF POWER IN THE MIDDLE EAST: CONTEXT, STRATEGY AND METHODS

Abstract

The Russian Federation has managed to take the world by surprise: first, by conducting a successful rescue operation in support of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, and second, by having become an indispensable power broker in the wider Middle Eastern region.1 As far as Syria is concerned, by the end of 2019, Assad’s regime had effectively been saved by Russia’s political and military support in the form of its direct intervention in the Syrian Civil War2. Russia’s decisive action in this situation enhanced its Status throughout the Middle East region. This article aims to ascertain to what extent has Russia’s conduct merely taken advantage of the vacuum left by the U.S. and the West, and to what extent can it be considered a premeditated and carefully considered plan that fits within Russia’s wider strategic objectives.