Determinants of the Military Intervention of the Russian Federation in Syria

Abstract

The USSR’s understanding of the Middle East through the prism of “the cold war” ideological competition with the United States of America was replaced by pragmatism. The aspiration for the pro­tection of national interests in conditions of implemented by the Russian Federation multipole world policy may be assumed as the cause of the military intervention in the Syrian Arab Republic. The following determinants influenced the military engagement in Syria: historical-cultural – resulting from the relations which connected both countries during the “cold war” and the vision of the role of the Orthodox church; political – reconstruction of the position on the international arena, competition with the USA, protection of domestic security; military – enabling the projection of power; economic – protection and development of economy.