... protracted civil war in Yemen. Moscow might take a kind view national elections taking place in Libya, as long as they happen in the near future.
Moving Forward
Aleksandr Aksenenok:
Statehood in the Middle East: In Search of New Models
The future of Russia’s role in the MENA region will be defined by many factors, including the duration of the Russian-Western crisis and its ultimate outcome. Most regional actors look at this crisis not only as a new security challenge, but also as a new political opportunity to diversify ...
... February 24, the reaction to such purchases will be much stronger, and this may expand from traditional U.S. partners in the region to a wider range of states. Sanction risks are highly likely to lower the level of military-technical cooperation between Russia and the MENA countries.
Alexey Khlebnikov:
Russia’s Approach to Cross-Border Aid Delivery to Syria
Of course, the Arab countries take into account the risks of sanctions in economic matters, which can negatively affect trade as well as investment cooperation ...
From November 29 to December 24, 2021, at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), the XVI Conference of Arabists “I.M. Smilyanskaya Readings” was held
From November 29 to December 24, 2021, at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), the XVI Conference of Arabists ...
... driven by limited but clearly defined and legitimate interests. They stressed that Russia’s ambitions are often overstated, and that it has no intention or desire to replace the US as the major external security provider and guarantor in the region. Russia’s approach to the MENA is perhaps best explained in geographic terms: Moscow’s first priority is the belt of the Central Asian and South Caucasian countries, followed by the belt of their neighbours – Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan – and then the wider Arab world. ...
... engagement in Syria in the autumn of 2015 had a significant ‘pedagogical’ dimension—after a spectacular Western failure in Libya and a less than impressive US performance in Iraq, Vladimir Putin clearly intended to teach the West how to ‘fix’ a MENA country. Particularly in the aftermath of the acute crisis in and around Ukraine, it was very important for the Kremlin to demonstrate that in the Eastern Mediterranean Russia could become not a part of the problem, but rather a part of the solution.
As it turned out, this initial plan did not work—neither in Syria, nor in Libya later on. The Russian political and especially military presence in the region very soon ...
Russia risks losing the most out of this portion of its “Ummah Pivot” given growing the Chinese, Turkish and U.S presence
(This is the second and final part of the author’s article series on this topic. The first one can be read
here
, and it ...
... around the world is strengthening, and soon there will be a larger Chinese footprint in North Africa and the Middle East. China puts a premium on the economical dimension when pursuing its policies.
Despite the positive results of the Geneva summit, Russia and the U.S. remained opposed to several issues in the MENA region, including the Syrian settlement. Perhaps, there will be positive changes when it comes to relief efforts for the Syrians.
The issue of the threat emanating from Iran was discussed at the Geneva summit. Also, the NBC journalist asked Putin ...
The Southern vector of Moscow’s balancing act: what awaits it in years to come?
A key component of Russia’s 21st-century grand strategy goal of becoming the supreme balancing force in Eurasia is its “Ummah Pivot” of comprehensive engagement with the Muslim-majority countries to its South, stretching from North Africa to South Asia. This vector ...
... the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, held an international seminar “From Battlefields to Negotiation tables. What Role for International Actors in MENA Crises.”
On September 10, 2019, in Moscow, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), in cooperation with the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, held an international seminar “From Battlefields ...
... political settlement and post-conflict reconstruction in Syria. Considering the enormous amount of money needed to revive the country as well as the limited resources of Moscow and Ankara, the parties are able to interact on the way to a pragmatic solution amenable to both.
Regional Platforms and Security Architecture Systems
Timur Makhmutov, Ruslan Mamedov:
Proposals on Building a Regional Security System in West Asia and North Africa
The Russian military doctrine states that one of the main threats to the country’s security is NATO’s expansion to Russia’s borders [
42
]. However, a number of experts, as well as the President of the Russian Federation, believe that this threat ...
