Russia's Expanding Footprint: From Sochi to the Sahel

Like New York City, Russian diplomacy seemingly never sleeps. Last week, President Vladimir Putin conducted a series of mini summits in Sochi on consolidating a postwar order in Syria and about taking a giant step forward in Sudan. During Putin’s first meetings on Syria, on November 20, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad showed up somewhat unexpectedly to discuss, or more likely to hear from his Russian counterpart, the outlines of a political process for the war-torn Middle Eastern state. The proposed peace deal will have al-Assad remain as president, while a congress of all Syrian factions will be called to discuss the country’s future constitution and political order (Kremlin.ru, November 20).

Predictably, Russian media coverage of Putin’s diplomatic offensive in Sochi was euphoric. Not only did local media sources play up the seeming end of international demands for al-Assad’s ouster as a victory for the Kremlin, some writers opined that the Sochi meetings were akin to a new Yalta (Kommersant, November 22; Riss.ru, November 21).

Today, as in Soviet times, the way to ensure that Moscow has viable bases for deploying and sustaining that presence beyond Russian borders is through the provision of foreign energy and arms sales. Throughout the Middle East and Africa, this process is being carried out with unceasing vigor. At Sochi, this drive further manifested itself in Putin’s meeting with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, on November 23. In front of his Russian host, al-Bashir declared that he sought Moscow’s protection because the United States was threatening his government, which is quite contrary to the truth. Russian officials responded in kind: notably, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev spoke of increased trade and cooperation, declaring Sudan a major partner in Africa (Allafrica.com, November 25). Even more tellingly, President al-Bashir discussed with Putin the possibility of setting up a Russian naval base on the Red Sea. And in response, the first deputy chairman of the defense and security committee in Russia’s Federation Council (upper chamber of parliament), Frants Klintsevich, welcomed the proposal. The Russian lawmaker said such a base could play an “exceptionally stabilizing role” and predicted that many other states might ask Russia, on the basis of its Syrian success, to establish a permanent military presence on their soil (Aawsat.com, November 26; RIA Novosti, November 25).

This issue of naval and other bases cuts to the heart of Russia’s concrete Middle Eastern and African objectives. Although Moscow says it plans to reduce its forces in Syria, it will retain its naval and air bases there. It also is seeking air or naval bases in Egypt, Cyprus, Libya, and potentially even Yemen (see EDM, July 17, 2013; October 14, 2016; February 1, 2017; and Stephen Blank, “The Foundations of Russian Policy in the Middle East,” Russia in the Middle East, The Jamestown Foundation, October 5, 2017). Clearly, Moscow aims to dominate not only the Eastern Mediterranean but also the approaches to this area, including the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. Moreover, as Russia deploys its long-range missiles to the Caucasus and the Caspian basin, it also gains new capabilities not only to interdict Western strike forces in the Eastern Mediterranean but also in the Middle East (see EDM, October 26, 2015; UAWire, March 18, 2017). And if Russia does manage to actually secure a base in Yemen and/or Sudan, it will gain leverage over the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait entering into the Red Sea, as well as entry into the Persian Gulf. The energy deals and arms sales it is making to Sudan along with other states in the Sahel and the Middle East all have as their goal the securing of such basing rights and access along with leverage over energy flows from these countries to Europe.

Moscow’s unceasing diplomacy and strategic focus contrast with the disarray of U.S. policy and the absence in Europe of any real strategic grasp of what is now at stake in the Levant. While Moscow, like New York City, seemingly never sleeps, the West remains somnolent.

Dr. Stephen Blank is a Senior Fellow and resident Russia expert at the American Foreign Policy Council. Previously, he worked as a professor at the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, PA. The views expressed here do not represent those of the U.S. Army, Defense Department or the U.S. Government.

This article appeared originally at The Jamestown Foundation's Eurasia Daily Monitor.