Russian strategy in the Middle East and North Africa

Derek Averre is Honorary Reader at the University of Birmingham

• Introduction: the Arab Spring and Russia1 Russia and the MENA region: state fragmentation, inter-state rivalries and international discord2 Russia and the Syrian civil war3 Russia’s domestic politics and the Arab Spring4 Russia, the Arab uprisings and international norms5 Religion and terrorism: the challenge of the Arab Spring6 A Russian strategy for the MENA region?ConclusionsIndex

‘Averre's monograph is one of the few books I consider to be essential for understanding the complexity of Russia's relationship with the Middle East.’Mark N. Katz, Professor Emeritus, George Mason University‘Averre’s important work shows how Russia’s complex, multi-faceted strategy in the Middle East and North Africa is often misunderstood by Western commentators. The book is essential reading for “getting Russia right”.'James Nixey, Former Director, Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House'The importance of understanding Russia’s transformational involvement in the MENA region, which is marked by proxy conflicts, shifting alliances and normative struggles over sovereignty, cannot be overestimated. Derek Averre’s new book offers a persuasive account of the security interests as well as the regional and domestic dynamics that shaped Russia’s MENA policy, from its response to the Arab Spring to its relations with a network of regional, external and non-state actors... As a result, the book offers a comprehensive account of Russian decision-making and a far more layered account than those centred on material capabilities, international norms or authoritarian opportunism alone.'Kalina Zhekova, International Affairs'The author demonstrates the fragility of often dominant perspectives, such as the view that Russian strategy is solely driven by a desire to restore its international status to Soviet-era levels. Averre shows how such simplistic interpretations fail to capture the broader spectrum of internal and external, structural and contingent, factors that influence and define the Russian approach.' Nicolò Murgia, The International SpectatorCHOICE Recommended: Graduate students and faculty.'Russian Strategy in the Middle East and North Africa is a valuable contribution to the literature on Russia’s foreign policy... Averre (Univ. of Birmingham, England) forgoes analyzing Russian actions through a single foreign policy lens, instead using an eclectic, analytical approach to explain Russian foreign policy in the region since 2011. The study employs four explanatory factors: structural power, the Russian elite's conceptions of international norms, domestic politics, and Vladimir Putin’s agency. The result is a rich and detailed account of the motivations of Russian action... With recent developments in Syria, the book is crucial for understanding how unfolding events may affect Russia’s interests in the region.'--J. R. Clardie, Northwest Nazarene University