Russia–US Relations and Their Syrian Chance

There are a lot of common interests between Russia and the United States (if, of course, we analyse within the concept of “national interest” isolated from ideological issues and historical prejudices) — not only in the global issues (war against terrorism, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, reduction of strategic offensive weapons), but also at the regional level. Both Moscow and Washington are interested in creation a collective security system in East Asia, which will not only help to stabilize the situation on the Korean Peninsula, but also somehow hold back Chinese expansion in the region (though Russia and the United States have a different understanding of the concept and ways of this deterrence). However, the resemblance of Russian-American relations in the Middle East region seems to be even more interesting. Even though the US and Russia are opposing each other in the Syrian field, there are common views about the future of this country and the role of Iran. Again, the space for agreement arises from the objective goals and objectives of the players, as well as the availability of resources for their implementation. The US goal is to curb Iranian expansion in the region, and since it is now impossible to squeeze Iran out of Syria and southern Iraq, Washington wants at least to dilute its influence with other players. At the same time, Russia’s goal is to consolidate its positions in the Middle East — and it is possible only if there is no dominant force in the region. Any force at all. Therefore, the Kremlin is interested in constructing a regional balance of power and is even ready to work as an intermediary between the opposing sides. But if the US wants to use this mediator, they must realise its importance and necessity.

USA, Russia, Syria, Iran, Turkey, ISIS, Middle East, Russian-American relations, “cool war”, national interests

1. Simes D. The Costs of Ignoring Russia. The National Interest. 2017;(13Aug.). URL: https://nationalinterest.org/ feature/the-costs-ignoring-russia-21888.

2. Legvold R. Getting America and Russia Back to Normal. The National Interest. 2017;(19Aug.). URL: https://nationalinterest.org/feature/getting-america-russia-back-normal-21959.

3. Zakheim D. America and Russia: Time to Come Clean. The National Interest. 2017;(16Aug.). URL: https://nationalinterest.org/feature/america-russia-time-come-clean-21929.

4. Stent A. America and Russia: Same Old, Same Old. The National Interest. 2017;(17Apr.). URL: https://nationalinterest.org/feature/america-russia-same-old-same-old-21941.

5. Колтон Т., Чарап С. Преодолеть логику нулевой суммы. Россия в глобальной политике. URL: https://www. globalaffairs.ru/number/Preodolet-logiku-nulevoi-summy-19523. Colton T., Charap S. Overcome zero-sum logic. Rossiya v global’noi politike. URL: https://www.globalaffairs.ru/ number/Preodolet-logiku-nulevoi-summy-19523. (In Russ.).

6. Shapiro J. Trump is coming off as Putin’s poodle, but that actually undermines Russia’s main goal. Brookings Institution. 2018;(20July). URL: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2018/07/20/trump-iscoming-off-as-putins-poodle-but-that-actually-undermines-russias-main-goal.

7. Rumer E. Russia Is Winning — or Is It? The Moscow Times. 2018;(30July). URL: https://www.themoscowtimes. com/2018/07/30/russia-is-winning-or-is-it-a62387.

8. Цыганков А. Трамп и санкции: без иллюзий. Россия в глобальной политике. URL: https://www.globalaffairs. ru/number/Tramp-i-sanktcii-bez-illyuzii-19748. Tsygankov A. Trump and sanctions: no illusions. Rossiya v global’noi politike. URL: https://www.globalaffairs. ru/number/Tramp-i-sanktcii-bez-illyuzii-19748. (In Russ.).

9. Kagan R. The United States and Russia aren’t allies. But Trump and Putin are. Brooking Institution. 2018;(24July). URL: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2018/07/24/the-united-states-andrussia-arent-allies-but-trump-and-putin-are/.

10. Boot M. Trump wants to Finlandize the United States. The Washington Post. 2018;(30July). URL: https://www. washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/trump-is-pushing-the-atlantic-alliance-to-the-breakingpoint/2018/06/30/c054f0dc-7c8e-11e8–80be-6d32e182a3bc_story.html?utm_term=.e2aa479a9124.

11. Высоцкий А. Время для тайм-аута. Россия в глобальной политике. URL: https://www.globalaffairs.ru/globalprocesses/Vremya-dlya-taim-auta-19724. Vysotsky A. Time for a timeout. Rossiya v global’noi politike. URL: https://www.globalaffairs.ru/global-processes/Vremya-dlya-taim-auta-19724. (In Russ.).

12. Бордачев Т. «Две войны» Запада и России. Россия в глобальной политике. URL: https://www.globalaffairs. ru/number/Dve-voiny-Zapada-i-Rossiya-19666. Bordachev Timofey. “Two wars” of the West and Russia. Rossiya v global’noi politike. URL: https://www.globalaffairs.ru/number/Dve-voiny-Zapada-i-Rossiya-19666. (In Russ.).

13. Leonnig C., Dawsey J. ‘Individual 1’: Trump emerges as a central subject of Mueller probe. The Washington Post. 2018;(29Nov.). URL: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/individual-1-trump-emerges-as-a-centralsubject-of-mueller-probe/2018/11/29/e3968994-f3f7–11e8–80d0-f7e1948d55f4_story.html.

14. Шапиро Дж. «Война по доверенности» на Украине станет катастрофой. Россия в глобальной политике. URL: https://www.globalaffairs.ru/number/Voina-po-doverennosti-na-Ukraine-stanet-katastrofoi-19512. Shapiro J. “War by proxy” in Ukraine will be a disaster. Rossiya v global’noi politike. URL: https://www.globalaffairs.ru/number/Voina-po-doverennosti-na-Ukraine-stanet-katastrofoi-19512. (In Russ.).

15. Ward A. Read Trump’s speech to the UN General Assembly. Vox. 2018;(25Sept.). URL: https://www.vox. com/2018/9/25/17901082/trump-un-2018-speech-full-text.

16. Misztal B. Washington must contain the real Iranian threat to Middle East peace. The Hill. 2018;(17Jan.). URL: https://thehill.com/opinion/international/369337-washington-must-contain-the-real-iranian-threat-tomiddle-east-peace.

17. Twitter of NBC. 2018;(08May). URL: https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/993923488963596290.

18. Maloney S. Trump wants a bigger, better deal with Iran. What does Tehran want? Brookings Institution. 2018;(08Aug.). URL: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2018/08/08/trump-wants-a-biggerbetter-deal-with-iran-what-does-tehran-want.

19. Twitter of Richard Grenell. 2018;(08May). URL: https://mobile.twitter.com/RichardGrenell/ status/993924107212394496.

20. Stanage N. Five takeaways from Trump’s Iran announcement. The Hill. 2018;(08May). URL: https://thehill.com/ homenews/administration/386814-five-takeaways-from-trumps-iran-announcement.

21. Nasr V. What the Iran Protests Were Not. The Atlantic. 2018;(10Jan.). URL: https://www.theatlantic.com/ international/archive/2018/01/iran-economic-protests-urban-rural-divide/550211.

22. Cooper H., Gibbons-Neff T., Hubbard B. U. S. Britain and France Strike Syria Over Suspected Chemical Weapons Attack. The New York Times. 2018;(13Apr.). URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/13/world/middleeast/ trump-strikes-syria-attack.html.

23. Bulos N. Turkey says the U.S. “stabbed us in the back” by aligning with Kurds on the Syrian border. Los Angeles Times. 2018;(16Jan.). URL: http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-kurds-border-force-20180116-story.html.

24. Heer P. Containment and China: What Would Kennan Do? The National Interest. 2018;(17Apr.). URL: https://nationalinterest.org/feature/containment-china-what-would-kennan-do-25431.