The Growing Influence of the Russian Federation and its Implications for the Middle East Region: (2008-2018)

Objective:This study aims to answer the impact of Russian foreign policy on the East region and the international system during the tenure of President Vladimir Putin. It also sheds light on the most prominent transformations that took place in the region after direct Russian intervention in regional issues, and the reasons that prompted the Russian State to strive to be a major player in the affairs and issues of the Middle East countries after the state of isolation imposed on it after the Cold War.
Methodology:The descriptive and analytical approach to studying the Russian growing impact in the Middle East as of the period of Vladimir Putin's tenure as President of Russia from 2008 to 2018 was adopted, based on three theories: the theory of balance of power, the theory of power shifts, and the theory of the security dilemma.
Results:The results of the study concluded that the two theories, the balance of power and power shifts, focus on the role of Russian foreign policy towards the issues and crises of the Middle East countries and the resulting impact of this role, while the theory of the security dilemma deals with establishing and identifying the reasons that pushed Russia to play this role again.
Conclusion:The study concluded that Putin's political ideology towards the issues and crises of the countries of the Middle East came with the aim of achieving radical changes at the regional and international levels to revive the effectiveness of the Russian role and emphasize its power and influence. Moreover, the comprehensiveness of the theoretical framework will increase the understanding of the strategy of the Russian Federation during the tenure of Vladimir Putin (2008-2018) towards the Middle East.