The US and Russia are already embroiled in a de facto proxy battle in Ukraine. Now, with the escalating battle within the Center East, US international coverage targets conflict with Russia’s, successfully opening a second entrance. Whereas it’s clear each Washington and Moscow pursue self-interest, their targets and strategies diverge considerably.
Each undertake army interventions and endorse proxy armies within the area. The excellence lies in Russia’s covert army involvement within the Center East and Africa, primarily by private military companies (PMCs) like the Wagner Group. The US, nonetheless, overtly sends uniformed troops to the realm. Russia’s PMCs have a infamous historical past of extreme human rights violations, together with rape, homicide, and torture, resulting in their designation as transnational terrorist organizations.
One other distinction within the coverage targets of the 2 international locations lies of their motivations. Whereas it’s typically argued that the US solely goes to battle for oil, this assertion doesn’t maintain up below scrutiny. Firstly, the US is among the many nations with the biggest proven oil reserves globally and is effectively energy independent.
Furthermore, the US has participated in quite a few conflicts in areas with minimal oil resources. As an example, throughout World Struggle II, the US didn’t tackle Japan and Germany due to their oil. Since 1945, the US has been concerned in conflicts spanning Greece (1947-1949), Korea, Haiti (1959), Vietnam, Central America, Kosovo, Croatia, and plenty of different international locations. Essentially the most vital current wars fought by the US had been in Afghanistan, which lacks significant oil reserves, and Iraq, which is oil-rich. Nonetheless, even in Iraq, the US didn’t seize management of the oil fields. The fields stay the property of Iraq, whereas they’re operated by worldwide corporations, with China expanding its share.
Moscow’s interventions within the Center East and Africa, then again, are primarily pushed by a quest to safe assets and strengthen the Russian economic system. Whereas the US sometimes backs the UN-recognized chief of a nation, the Wagner Group aligns itself with whichever strongman or dictator instructions valuable resources equivalent to gold, diamonds, or oil, funneling the proceeds back to Moscow by clandestine shell corporations.
The U.S. sometimes ties its financial and army help to circumstances geared toward enhancing democracy and human rights inside a rustic. Whereas one might argue that these circumstances serve U.S. pursuits, in addition they contribute to the betterment of individuals’s lives.
As a result of Russia neglects human rights and democracy within the international locations the place it intervenes militarily, Moscow supplies diplomatic and army backing for nefarious regimes equivalent to Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar, or the coup leaders within the Sahel region of Africa. As a consequence of Russia’s assist for these dictators, the usual of residing and high quality of life for the typical residents in these international locations sharply decline.
One other distinction between US and Russian intervention lies within the aftermath: when a rustic aligns with Russia, it typically severs ties with the West, as seen within the coup belt of Africa. This termination of Western affect not solely hinders potential political and social transformations but in addition designates Russia because the principal export market, thereby lowering useful resource costs and exacerbating poverty.
However, international locations aligning with the US successfully align with the EU, G7, and the world’s wealthiest and most developed nations. This alignment allows them to have interaction in worldwide commerce, entry funding from conventional lenders just like the IMF, World Financial institution, and Paris Membership, and obtain assist from Western sources.
Moscow and Washington have cooperated on counterterrorism points, associated to Islamic extremism, however as soon as once more, the motivations are completely different. Putin was fast to affix US counterterrorism initiatives after the 9/11 terrorist attacks within the US, nonetheless, he was doing so, to cowl for his battle against separatists in Chechnya and Dagestan. Moscow’s alleged curiosity in counterterrorism is simply the subsequent step in an extended historical past of repression and battle in opposition to Russia’s home Muslim inhabitants.
Nations within the Center East and Africa face a alternative between the US and Russia as their counterterrorism and safety companion. Whereas the US seeks to steadiness counterterrorism efforts with sustaining relations with different Center Japanese nations, Russia takes a unique strategy by not directly supporting terrorism by its backing of Iran, which in flip helps Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Russia supplied Hamas with weapons taken in Ukraine and has bought weapons to authoritarian regimes throughout Africa. Furthermore, as a result of human rights violations dedicated by Moscow-sponsored groups, Russia has been labeled a state sponsor of terror by the EU Parliament.
Moreover, in response to the Houthi attacks on ships within the Crimson Sea, Russia obtained an settlement whereby the Houthis would chorus from attacking Russian vessels. In distinction, the US response concerned forming a global coalition to stop the Houthis from focusing on ships of any nation.
The 2 international locations have markedly completely different approaches to arms management. Whereas the US collaborates with the worldwide neighborhood to stop states like North Korea and Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, Russia takes a contrasting stance by providing technology to Iran that might advance its nuclear ambitions. Russia additionally purchases missiles and drones from Iran, in addition to assorted munitions from North Korea, regardless of worldwide sanctions prohibiting such arms commerce. Furthermore, supplying Iran with the means to develop nuclear weapons is banned, however Russia declared final yr that it not felt obliged to adhere to UN restrictions.
Russia maintains its place on the United Nations Safety Council (UNSC) and has constantly vetoed interventions in opposition to dictators and despots. Lately, Russia vetoed a decision aiming to ban nuclear weapons from area. This aligns with Russia’s monitor record of vetoing resolutions associated to nuclear proliferation in addition to interventions within the Center East.
Whereas critics could argue that the US seeks to restrict the variety of nuclear weapons on this planet to take care of its army supremacy, it’s simple {that a} world with out nuclear-armed states like North Korea and Iran can be considerably safer than the choice introduced by Russian insurance policies. Furthermore, within the Center East, a state of affairs the place the area’s UN-recognized and democratically elected leaders, supported by the worldwide neighborhood, aren’t embroiled in limitless conflicts in opposition to Russian proxies would undoubtedly result in larger stability, prosperity, and, most significantly, the well-being of the Center Japanese inhabitants.
