Russia's Middle East Policy

Alexey Vasiliev is a full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Honorary President of the Academy’s Institute for African Studies. He has been a close observer of and active participant in the Soviet Union’s and Russia’s relations with the Middle East for several decades.

• CONTENTSINTRODUCTION SOURCES OF MESSIANISM AND PRAGMATISM THE RISE AND FALL OF NIKITA S. KHRUSHCHEV A. THE DEFEAT THAT TURNED INTO SUCCESS B. THE MIDDLE EAST IN SOVIET MILITARY STRATEGY C. A SEMI-VICTORY TURNED INTO DEFEAT D. SLIDING DOWNHILL E. LOST OPPORTUNITIES F. THE HUMAN DIMENSION UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE: THE ERA OF LEONID BREZHNEV A. THE DEFEAT THAT TURNED INTO SUCCESSB. THE MIDDLE EAST IN SOVIET MILITARY STRATEGYC. A SEMI-VICTORY TURNED INTO DEFEATD. SLIDING DOWNHILLE. LOST OPPORTUNITIESF. THE HUMAN DIMENSION4. "ARDENT REVOLUTIONARIES, LOYAL FRIENDS": THE USSR AND THE COMMUNIST MOVEMENT AN EXOTIC FLOWER OF ARABIA THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, OR THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS A. QUADRANGLE: MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS – INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE – STATE SECURITY COMMITTEE – MINISTRY OF DEFENCEB. PERSONALITIES IN BIG POLITICSC. DIPLOMATS. THEIR PLUSES, MINUSES, CAPABILITIES THE PAIN OF AFGHANISTAN A."CANNOT LOSE AFGHANISTAN" B. "HISTORY GIVES NO ANSWER" C. THE LOGIC OF THE FATEFUL DECISION D. SEEKING A SOLUTION MESSIANISM IN DECLINE: THE TIME OF MIKHAIL GORBACHEV FOREIGN POLICY AND DOMESTIC POLICY: THE USSR, ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS STORMS IN ALIEN DESERTS 11. CURSED NINETIESA. IGNORE NOT INTERFERE…B. THE MADRID PROCESS AND THE FATE OF THE "MOTHER OF ALL CONFLICTS"C. RUSSIA-ISRAEL. "FRIENDSHIP WITH RESERVATIONS"D. THE MINEFIELDS OF IRAQE. TURKEY – A PRIVILEGED TRADE PARTNERF. DIFFICULT MOVEMENT TOWARDS EACH OTHERG. A DESIRABLE PARTNER12 TO RETURN, BUT HOW?A. THE ATTEMPTS TO KEEP IRAQ AS A PARTNERB. THE YEARS AND THE FRUIT OF REAL PRAGMATISM: RUSSIAN-TURKISH RELATIONSC. "A GOOD NEIGHBOUR, BUT NEIGHBOURS ARE NOT CHOSEN": THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND IRAND. AFGHANISTAN: FAR, BUT IN SOME WAYS CLOSEE. RUSSIA AND THE COUNTRIES OF THE ARABIAN PENINSULA: CERTAIN PROGRESSF. A PARTNERSHIP BUT NOT AN ALLIANCE (RUSSIA AND EGYPT IN THE 2000S)G. RUSSIA'S MAIN TRUMP CARD IN THE MIDDLE EAST13. THE CHILDREN DEVOUR THEIR REVOLUTIONSA. REVOLUTIONS WITH THE FACE OF FACEBOOK OR SIMPLY A "FITNA" ?B. CAUSES. DRIVING FORCES. EFFECTSC. COUNTRY SPECIFICSD. THE ROLE OF PERSONALITIESE. WHAT DID THE "WASHINGTON PROVINCE PARTY COMMITTEE" DO?F. WHAT ABOUT RUSSIA?G. THE SPECIAL RELATION WITH EGYPT14. THE SYRIAN TRAGEDY. THE BIRTH OF THE MONSTERS (2011-2015)A. THE VICIOUS CIRCLE OF VIOLENCEB. SMALL AND BIG MONSTERSC. REGIONAL AND GLOBAL ACTORSD. WHAT WAS THERE FOR RUSSIA TO DO?E. ATTEMPTS TO ORGANIZE THE PROCESS OF POLITICAL SETTLEMENTF. POISON GASESG. AN ATTEMPT OF INTRA-SYRIAN DIALOGUE. GENEVA IIH. THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL: FOUR VETOES AND A FEW JO