(MENAFN- Daily Outlook Afghanistan) On one hand United States military outposts and bases are beingemptied or destroyed after Washington withdrew from the North East Syria andleft its Kurdish allies and on the other hand Russian forces are moving in totake over these empty bases. This clearly illustrates that how Russia isfilling in the gap left by US. It will not be an exaggeration to say thatMoscow has established itself as more reliable partner then US in the region.Czarist Russia had longstanding interests in the Middle East, and itssuccessor, the USSR rapidly after World War II emerged as a critical player inthe region in its contest with the United States. But after end of cold war andsubsequent disintegration of USSR. Moscow lost its influence and stature in theregion this downfall in the region always dauted Russian leadership whichalways carved for a greater role in the Middle East. Syrian civil war providedRussia with golden opportunity to enter in the regional arena and prove itselfa dominant player. Putin used this opportunity very well and exploited it tomaximum. Russia now has been established as major player in the region and itwill play this role for long time to come. Let's have a look at factors whichwill enable Russia to dominate regional landscape for long.
Proven Military Might - The weaponry and equipment thatMoscow brought in Syrian theatre from the very beginning signalled a clearintent to stay for the long term. Russian brought in its best state of artdefence system like- S-400 surface-to-air missile (SAM) anti-aircraft/missilesystem. In addition to SAMs and airspace control, Russia has tactical ballisticand cruise missiles and advanced anti-ship missiles deployed. Kremlin even sendits only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, on the Mediterranean and flyaircraft off it, even if there were difficulties. The broader point conveyed isthat Moscow used all tools in its arsenal to project power and assert influencewhen it needed to and will continue to do so.
Reliable Arms Supplier - Moscow's positioned itself as thearms supplier of choice for the region. Russia's S-400 is in great demand inthe region, Turkey already got it and many countries like-Saudi Arabia andQatar are interested in it. In addition to this Moscow is selling arms worthbillions of dollars to Algeria and Egypt. Russia is gradually increasing itsshare in the regional arms market as US hardware are very expensive and comeswith lot of Do's and Don'ts list. On the other hand, Russia provide decentquality product at much cheaper price with no questions asked.
Diplomatic Powerhouse - In the diplomatic realm, Moscow nowclearly wields superior effectiveness, having developed contacts with allparties and a distinctive ability to mediate, balance and help shape, ratherthan trying in vain to impose outcomes. Maintaining good relations with allsides has been core of Russia Middle East strategy. Unlike the United States,which has always divided the region into allies and foes, Russia has taken apragmatic approach which is paying good dividends. Russia only has the abilityat this point in time to interact with many state and nonstate actors in theMiddle East. Like-Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, UAE and Kurds. Even thetraditionally American-oriented countries like Israel now look for greaterunderstanding with Moscow.
Reliable Ally - Russia has transformed thebattlefield, saved its allies, and established itself as reliable partner whichcan always be banked upon. Moscow presented itself as a reliable ally whichbelieved in maintaining current status quo for traditional Middle Easternleaders who fear any change. Russia has proved itself as an all-weather friendwhich won't judge will just help.
Russia has used same mix of military and diplomatic tools but inits own creative way that made the United States dominant in the region for somany decades. Russia's actions in the Middle East should be seen in the widercontext of its global geopolitical rivalry with the United States and itsWestern allies. The creation of a 'multipolar world' in place of the UnitedStates dominated unipolar world order, has long been a comprehensive Russiangeo-political goal. Outside the countries of the former USSR the Middle East isprobably the region where Russia has been most successful in consolidating itsinfluence at America's expense. United States eagerness to disentangle itselffrom the regional conflicts creates more room for Russia to expand. Russia'sgrowing influence in the region has also been a result of US ambiguous strategyand lack of foresight. It's hard truth that by pursuing its clear-cut goalswith limited means but with determination, Russia has returned to Middle Eastto play a major role. America by contrast lacks a consensus about what itsgoals and interests are, let alone how best to secure them.
(Author is a columnist for Middle-East and Af-Pak region andEditor of geo-political news agency ViewsAround can be reached at )
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