March 08, 2017
U.S.-Russia Competition in the Middle East Is Back
The past few years have been characterized by increasing American-Russian competition all over the globe. The primary focus, has been on Russia’s ongoing efforts to challenge NATO, weaken transatlantic resolve, and intimidate its neighbors. Other than its intervention in Syria, Russia’s ambition to reassert itself in the Middle East has received far less attention. But in almost every discussion these days with Middle Eastern government officials and policy experts, it is one of the first subjects that comes up. This focus stands in strong contrast to two years ago when Russia’s role in the region was an afterthought to American engagement in the Middle East.
Russia views the Middle East as its near abroad, and is in the early stages of executing a long-term strategy in an attempt to return itself to the powerful stature and influence it had in the region during the heart of the Cold War. It is working to undercut longstanding U.S. relationships in the Middle East and restructure the regional order more to its liking. Indeed, Russia’s strategy in the Middle East is no different than its approach to undercutting NATO and the EU in Europe.
The obvious starting point was Russia’s decision to intervene in Syria in the fall of 2015 at the request of President Bashar al-Assad. The intervention is historic, representing the first time the Russians have put boots on the ground to support an ongoing conflict in the region since their support for Syria during the 1973 war with Israel. And by all accounts it has been a success, solidifying Assad’s position in Syria, protecting its single military base in the Middle East, and causing regional actors to rethink Russia’s role in the region all at a relatively low cost.
Read the full article at Foreign Policy.
More from CNAS
-
CNAS Insights
Defense / Indo-Pacific Security / Transatlantic Security / Middle East Security / Energy, Economics & Security
CNAS Insights | National Security Agenda in the New Congress: A 10-Item To-Do ListWhen Democratic majorities sweep into Congress in January, Washington will return to divided government. The prospect of stalemate will be real, with Democrats prone to opposi...
By Richard Fontaine
-
Commentary
Indo-Pacific Security / Transatlantic Security / Middle East Security
The Axis of Upheaval Goes to WarThey are fine-tuning their cooperation to make their partners more resilient—and more dangerous to the United States—while limiting costs and risks....
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Richard Fontaine
-
U.S. Troops Are Leaving Iraq. What Does That Mean for U.S. Influence in the Region?
Podcast
Hamzeh Hadad, an adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security, joins NPR's Consider This to discuss U.S. forces withdrawing from Iraq after a two-decade-long milit...
By Hamzeh Hadad
-
Rational Security: The “All Takin’ and No Givin’” Edition
Podcast
Alex Zerden, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, joins the Rational Security podcast to discuss the week's biggest news in national security, incl...
By Alex Zerden
