Abstract: Turkish F16s shooting down a Russian military jet and the earlier bombing in Egypt of a Russian passenger plane by Islamic State (IS, ISIS, ISIL) near Sharm el-Sheikh has made Russia's mission in the Levant much more complicated. The terrorist attacks in Paris provided the Kremlin with an excellent opportunity to change the Russia's image as an opponent of the West, earned after the former's military intervention in Ukraine. So, what are Russia's goals with its sudden rush of activity in the Middle East and why has President Vladimir Putin decided to raise the stakes with this global power play?Russia's military actions in Syria and Iraq have been widely labelled as unexpected, although they should come as no surprise because it fits Putin's ultimate goals for Russia. The prime objective is to keep him and his team in power, possibly forever. But the main imperative of all Russian politics follows a pretty ambitious, if not utopian aim: the fundamental transformation of the global world order towards a multipolar world that elevates the position of Russia to that of an indispensable global arbiter. A Multipolar order in the Russian vision means the final demise of the presumption of American world dominance, to be superseded by continental concerts of local powers allied with Russia. The Kremlin hopes to counterbalance the U.S.'s global influence by siding itself with a few local hegemons: Germany and France in Europe, Iran in the Middle East, India in Central Asia, China in the Far East, Brazil in South America and South Africa in Africa. Anti-Americanism is perceived as the foundation for this vision of an alliance of Russia with the continental powers, such as Germany and the BRICS states. All Russian political and military activity is tuned to achieve these sacrosanct goals-Putin's eternal rule and Russia's triumphant return to the global scene as a power with which to contend. Russia's assertiveness in defending its interests, be it in Ukraine or Syria, should not come as a surprise because it is perceived by the Kremlin as a necessary tool in a world in which many states turn to military might to forward their vital interests. Through his actions, President Putin wants to convince both external actors as well as his own population that the reckless ignorance of Russia's vast interests will only lead to more chaos. Russia has openly presented this claim in many documents and public utterances by its highest officials, including Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.1 Russia inflames conflicts to show it has vast destructive power. Then, it tries to prove that solving these conflicts (incited by Russia) is impossible without its cooperation. It acts as an arsonist-fireman, who starts a fire to extinguish it and claim the glory.However, this grand strategy aimed at the spectacular return of Russia as a world power is based on pretty shaky foundations. Germany still struggles with the title of Europe's hegemon and definitely is not yet ready to ignore U.S. influence or to start down the path of full cooperation with Russia. Although Berlin strives to persuade the other EU states that the national interest of Germany should be considered identical to the European interest, so far this task has not been accomplished. On the contrary, Chancellor Angela Merkel's cordial invitation to MENA migrants has resulted in a huge crisis within the EU. Today, Britain openly threatens Brussels with a Brexit and Central European Countries are happy to oppose the EU's immigration policy, or rather the lack of it. India plays its traditional triple game, trying to balance Russian, American and Chinese influence in Central Asia. China, as an emerging superpower, is prone to take advantage of Putin's support but at the lowest possible price, and indeed perceives Russia as a junior partner. South America and Africa still do not play a significant role in this global puzzle. Despite this lack of visible success, Russia stubbornly pursues its actions even if it is met with resistance, hoping that the ultimate result will be favourable. …
Publication Year: 2015
Publication Date: 2015-10-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 2
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