Russian Activity in Current Crises in the Middle East: A View from Israel

Russia has of late been involved in a set of different international crises that are affecting the global system, shaping the regional and global order, and creating new challenges for Russia. The situation has made it necessary for Russia, as well as for all major powers, to adjust its policy to the new challenges. Last year Russia experienced an unstable period, being forced to cope with
the consequences of its domestic economic crisis, along with international criticism of its policy in the FSU arena, especially in Ukraine, and its policy in the Middle East. Russian foreign policy is therefore directed at protecting its interests and strengthening its standing in the international arena, while containing the direct threats confronting it. Among the complex of international challenges, the Middle East issues have major implications for the international arena in the visible future. Russia has an important role in charting the direction of those developments, and in fact, over the past year Russia managed to deal quiet effectively with the constraints emerging from the tumult in the Middle East, even expanding its presence and involvement in the region.