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The book presents a detailed analysis of Russia’s involvement in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in the turbulent period since the Arab uprisings in 2011. It examines the key policy challenges faced by Russia in the MENA region, in the context both of its own domestic politics and of a changing international system, offering a conceptually rich study that reflects the profound complexity of the evolution of Russian foreign policy over the last decade. The book incorporates chapters on Russia’s involvement in MENA politics and its engagement with other key actors external to the region; Russia’s political and military involvement in the Syrian civil war; the domestic sources of its foreign policymaking in the MENA region; its contest with the Western powers over international norms; its response to the challenge posed by Islamist extremism in the MENA region, including the return of foreign fighters to Russia’s North Caucasus; and its political-military and economic interests in the MENA region. The concluding chapter offers some key insights into Russia’s MENA strategy and analyses the implications of its involvement there for its broader foreign policy, not least its war with Ukraine. The book responds to the surge of interest in Russia’s more assertive strategy following its military campaigns in Syria and Ukraine, challenging arguments expressed in the existing literature while offering an original and vivid account of Russian thinking and decision-making since the inception of the Arab Spring.
This book focuses on the Western difficulties in interpreting Russia. It begins by reflecting on some of the problems that are set in the foundations of Russia's post-Cold War relationship with the West. The book points to problems that emerge from linguistic and historical 'interpretation'. It looks at the impact of Russia's decline as a political priority for the West since the end of the Cold War and the practical impact this has had. It then reflects on the rising influence, especially, but not only, in public policy and media circles, of 'transitionology' as the main lens through which developments in Russia were interpreted. The book then examines the evolution of the West's relationship with Russia since the end of the Cold War, focusing particularly on the NATO–Russia relationship. It focuses on the chronological development of relations and the emergence of strategic dissonance from 2003. The book also looks at Russian domestic politics, particularly the Western belief in and search for a particular kind of change in Russia, a transition to democracy. It continues the exploration of domestic politics, but turns to address the theme of 'Putinology', the focus on Putin as the central figure in Russian politics.