Practically unnoticed, Russia has regained its status as
a major power in the Middle East. Over the past several years, Moscow has
expanded its sphere of influence beyond its “near abroad” and into the
Gulf and Levant. There, it has worked to alter the regional balance of
power and fill the vacuum left by American diplomacy.
Russia’s regional policy is both multifaceted and
ambitious. Through its relationship with Tehran, Moscow has furthered the
Islamic Republic’s quest for weapons of mass destruction and complicated
the West’s access to Caspian basin energy. Through its efforts to
undermine the international sanctions regime against Baghdad and supplant
the United States as chief broker of the Middle East peace process, Russia
has attained growing control of regional diplomacy. And through arms sales
and proliferation, the Kremlin has reestablished ties with a host of
traditional client states, tilting them conclusively back into its orbit.
Now, Russia stands poised to become the preeminent power in the Gulf, much
to the detriment of both the United States and its regional allies, Turkey
and Israel.
In this article, “Russia and the Mideast Vacuum”, the
author explores the tools with which the Kremlin has sought to achieve
regional dominance, control over Caspian and Gulf energy, and the creation
of an anti-Western coalition aimed at ousting American influence from the
region.
