Russia's Policy Goals after Two Decades after the American Invasion of Iraq

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article examines Russia's policy goals in the Middle East (ME) and the former Soviet space (FSS) after the American invasion of Iraq in 2003 and its impact on Moscow's broader foreign relations. Russia did not support the invasion of Iraq because Moscow was against the unilateral use of force without special authorization by the UN Security Council (SC). After losing Iraq in 2003 and Libya in 2011, both former Soviet client states, Russia used its military power to prevent externally imposed regime change in Ukraine and Syria and positioned itself as a major player in the wider ME and beyond. We use the concept of positional goods to analyse not only Russia's behaviour on the basis of Iraq's case, but also the implications of US hegemony. We argue that Russia as a revisionist power and through its efforts to assume regional dominance wanted to achieve great power status. Russia also sought multilateralism to change the liberal international order and proposed multi-regional cooperation within the framework of international institutions. Still, the Russian leadership has advocated a multipolar world order in which Russia would hold a special role as a great power and would contribute to global stability.