A Comparative Comparison of the U.S. and Russian Foreign Policy and their Behavior Patterns in the Syrian Crisis

Abstract

The Syrian crisis has been one of the most critical developments in the international system since 2011, involving most international and regional actors. This crisis has undoubtedly been one of the most important arenas of confrontation between great powers such as the United States and Russia. This article examines the United States and Russia's behavioral patterns and policies in the Syrian crisis since 2011. It is hypothesized that Syria has strategic and vital interests for the United States and Russia. Therefore, a new arena has been created for competition between these two and other allies. The findings show that U.S. foreign policy in the Syrian crisis is based in its interests and other allies' interests, but pursuing unilateral policies and direct military intervention has been hampered by a number of international issues. Thus, they have to deal mainly with the developments in Syria indirectly. On the other hand, the situation is different for the Russians, and they have a maximum presence in Syria by forming alliances with actors such as Iran. They believe that the fall of the Assad government seriously endangers their interests, and therefore they try to prevent Opponents of the Assad government from gaining power in various ways.
Keywords: Foreign Policy, Middle East, Syrian Crisis, United States, Russia