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Dr. Diana Galeeva is an Academic Visitor to St Antony’s College (Oxford University). She completed her bachelor at Kazan Federal University (Russia) and holds an MA from Exeter University (UK) and a PhD from Durham University (UK). Her research interests include concepts of power, the GCC’s foreign policies, and relations between Russia and the GCC states.
How have Russia’s policies in the Middle East changed since the Arab uprisings?
The response of the Russian government to the Arab uprisings that began in January 2011 has aimed primarily at protecting its interests in the Middle East, including security and economic objectives.[1] Nonetheless, it has pursued different approaches over time: an initial period of observation and political pressure between 2011 and 2015, followed by more active policies thereafter. This essay explains the reasons for this shift and argues that Russia’s policies since 2015 are likely to continue, despite domestic and external challenges.
