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Russia's Diplomacy in the Middle East: Back to Geopolitics

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Russie.Eurasie.Visions
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Moscow's approach to the Middle East has undergone real changes from Soviet times to the present day: it evolved from creating zones of influence against the background of confrontation with the West to seeing the region through the prism of mainly economic interests, and, finally, to Moscow’s current pragmatic view.

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The latter, in essence, is a fusion of the previous two stages, with the Middle East serving Russia as a springboard for military and political manoeuvres in its confrontation with the West, while at the same time being seen as a potentially promising market for Russia’s modern weaponry, engineering and heavy trucks. Moscow also approaches this region today as a potential source of finance, in the form of loans and investment.

Moscow’s pragmatic approach to the Middle East is now being tested by the Syrian crisis. Russia’s military and political moves in Syria have raised a host of important questions. To what extent do they accord with Russia’s wider regional interests, and bolster its authority in the Arab (Sunni) world? What should Russia’s long-term interest in this region be, with long-term interests, by definition, not being bound to individual politicians—in Russia as well as in Middle Eastern countries? This article is an attempt to trace the evolution of Russian policy in the Middle East and to judge what effects Russia’s approach to the Syrian crisis might have on the position it occupies in the region.

Alexander Shumilin, political science PhD, is Director of the Centre for the Analysis of Middle Eastern conflicts at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

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978-2-36567-561-1

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Russia's Diplomacy in the Middle East: Back to Geopolitics

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Author(s)
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Russie, Eurasie, Carte
Russia/Eurasia Center
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Founded in 2005 within Ifri, the Russia/Eurasia Center conducts research and organizes debates on Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus. Its goal is to understand and anticipate the evolution of this complex and rapidly changing geographical area in order to enrich public discourse in France and Europe and to assist in strategic, political, and economic decision-making.

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War as Social Elevator: The Socioeconomic Impact of Russian Military Keynesianism

Date de publication
19 June 2025
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In order to finance its war effort, the Russian state has spent substantial sums of money and implemented a form of “military Keynesianism” that is transforming society at both the socioeconomic and cultural levels. This has partially rebalanced the wide disparities in wealth, levels of consumption, and social prestige in Russian society by granting significant financial and symbolic advantages to peripheral Russia, which has long been overlooked by the central government. 

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The Contradictory Impacts of Western Sanctions on Economic Relations between Russia and Sub-Saharan Africa

Date de publication
28 May 2025
Accroche

How does Russia maintain economic ties with Africa despite Western sanctions? An analysis of investments, trade, and the circumvention strategies deployed by Moscow.

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The Caspian Sea as an Emerging Energy Hub : Potentials and Limitations

Date de publication
07 February 2025
Accroche

This report analyzes the prospects of the Caspian Sea region — and its key actors except for Russia and Iran — becoming an important energy hub serving the needs of the European Union (EU). 

Sergey SUKHANKIN
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The European Union's Strategic Test in Georgia

Date de publication
27 January 2025
Accroche

The political crisis brewing in Georgia is of an existential nature for the country. What is at stake is Georgia's future as a democratic and sovereign European nation (EU).

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Russia's Diplomacy in the Middle East: Back to Geopolitics