Russia in the centre of the Middle East triangle

Abstract

The research subject is the political processes in the Middle East. The author analyzes the current situation in Syria in the context of Russia’s regional policy in the Middle East. the author considers the political interests of the key countries participating in the process of civil war settlement in Syria: Russia, Turkey, Iran and Israel. The research is aimed at studying Russia’s role in Syrian conflict settlement, particularly, it contains the comparative economic evaluation of Russian spending on the military operation in Syria. The author gives special attention to the reasons of escalation in Idlib and analyzes the main contradictions between Russia and Turkey in the beginning of 2020. The article analyzes Russia’s role in the military operation in Syria, considers the multifaceted policy of each of the countries-elements of the Middle East triangle, assesses the political and economic advantages of Russia’s involvement in the Middle East conflict. The author concludes that the U.S. withdrawal from Syria allowed Russia to play a major role in the Middle East triangle. However, the “first violin” role in an international conflict settlement can lead to the country’s involvement into a permanent state of confrontation with the actors of the Middle East policy. Scientific and practical results of the research can be used as primary and additional source for further settlement of political problems in the Middle East.