Vladimir M. Akhmedov The Syrian Axis of USSR/Russia Mideast Politics

Abstract

Al-Assad’s regime fall in December 2024 under HTS-led military Islamite opposition offensive challenged Russian Mideast politics. Despite some expectations after regime change Moscow didn’t surrender and advanced in securing its strategic influence in Syria. Russian policy in Syria has been determined by Russian geopolitical perceptions, national security interests and historical legacy of Russian Syria ties. The Russian President’s special attention to Syrian file proved Syria’s strategic importance for Russian Mideast politics. Since February 2025 Vladimir Putin has initiated a number of phone talks with A. Al-Shara’a that opened new page of bilateral relations and eased some disputed issues that slowed down their development. The visit of high-ranking Russian delegation in Damascus in January 29 2025 has marked turning point in Russian politics in Syria and stressed Russian interests in developing bilateral relations despite power change in Syria. The Syrian foreign minister A. Al-Shaibani talks in Moscow on July 31 2025 proved that new Syrian authorities considered Russia Syria relations of great importance regards the issues of regime’s legitimacy, strengthening state’s security, its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The above-mentioned questions shape the urgency of presented research paper that investigates determinants of Russian Syrian cooperation on historical background determining the factors of its stability and prolongation regards regional instability and changing political conjecture in Syria and Russia, as well. Main attention is paid to unknown aspects of Russian Syria relations in military, security spheres in providing Russian influences in Syria. The global and regional development’s influences on Russian Syria relations studied. The article stresses that Russian Syria relations were based not only on mutual perceptions towards crucial international issues, economic interests, but stable grass rout liaison that have been formed since last century. The author believes that engaging of Russian Syria Alliance’s political legacy saved for the last decades of bilateral military and economic cooperation may serve as one of possible means to strengthen Russian political influences in the Middle East.

Keywords:

Russia, Syria, Middle East, international relations, foreign politics

For сitation:

Akhmedov V.М.  The Syrian Axis of USSR/Russia Mideast Politics // The Historical Reporter. 2025. Vol. LV. P. 162–203. DOI: 10.35549/HR.2025.2025.55.001

Vladimir M. Akhmedov

C.Sc. (History), senior researcher, Institute of Oriental Studies Russian Academy of

Sciences. Moscow, Russian Federation.

e-mail: shamyarabist@gmail.com

ORCID: 0000-0002-4952-2964

SPIN-code: 2570-6004

AuthorID: 681793

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