Russia in the Indo-Pacific Region

Abstract

This article seeks to understand Russia's influence and foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific region and argues that Russia has been slowly reestablishing its presence in various ways and predicts that it will continue to do so despite limited resources and its lackluster performance in Ukraine. The pivot to Asia for Russia is more important in the wake of the war against Ukraine, and it must be seen in the context of Russia's interest in confronting US power amid a crisis of the liberal international order. Russian foreign policy has not factored much into the deliberations of US strategists when they considered the Indo-Pacific region recently. US policymakers will need to pay more attention to Russia going forward because the Ukraine war is bringing Russia and China closer together. Given Russia's increasing reliance on China to help circumvent the impact of sanctions against Russia and to help counter its isolation from the West, the two powers are likely to collaborate further in the future. China's reliance on Russia as its junior partner in the region benefits both in countering US influence.