The geopolitical interests of Russia and the United States are on a collision course in the Middle East, and the Cold War rivals are using different means to achieve their foreign policy objectives, says a political commentator from Moscow.
“Russia wants to influence the Middle East and of course the United States and the European Union also want to influence the Middle East, the question is how to achieve the goal,” Dmitry Babich said on Tuesday.
“The United States and the European Union especially Britain achieve their goal by directly intervening in the internal affairs of sovereign states” including Syria, where they are “supporting an armed insurgency,” he said in an interview with Press TV.
Russia has sent artillery units and tanks as well as dozens of personnel to Syria. US defense officials say Russia moved fighter jets to a base near Latakia on Friday.
The deployment has raised concerns in Washington that Russia seeks to establish a military outpost in Syria to boost the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
Russia’s commitment to the Syrian government, however, runs counter to the current US policy, which calls for the ouster of Assad.
“There is nothing preposterous about Russia trying to be an influence in the Middle East. Russia has been helping the legal government of Syria in the framework of international law. Russia has been respecting the sovereignty of countries,” Babich noted.
“It’s not up to the United States and it’s not up to Britain to decide who is better for these countries, they don’t know that area, they don’t know these people,” he added.
Russia’s moves in Syria have turned into a major topic of debates for presidential candidates seeking to replace President Barack Obama in the 2016 elections.
In an article published on Monday, Republican candidate Marco Rubio said that Obama “can’t seem to understand Vladimir Putin’s goals.”
Senator Rubio argued that the Russian president wants the recognition of Russia as a geopolitical force in the Middle East.
“Mr. Rubio is a very anti-Russian politician who wants to say that Russia is trying to occupy Syria which is a complete nonsense,” Babich said.
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