Russia won’t buckle in standoff with West over Syria

TEHRAN, Feb. 7 (MNA) -- For Russia, the establishment of a pro-Western government in Syria is absolutely unacceptable. Moscow clearly displayed its stance to the international community through its veto of the anti-Syria resolutions at the United Nations Security Council. Supporting the government of President Bashar al-Assad is now a serious priority for Russia because it views Syria as one of its most important allies in the Middle East. The Russians are standing up to the Western governments and their allies in the region to prevent a repeat of the Libyan scenario. Moscow’s main plan is to facilitate negotiations between the Syrian government and the opposition in order to help the two sides find a diplomatic solution to the current dispute and avoid a military attack on the country. The current standoff between the West and Russia has nothing to do with the other disputes between the two countries, such as the controversial NATO missile shield, which has increased the tension in their bilateral relationship over the past few years. There have been other points of disagreement between Russia and the West, such as the issues of Georgia, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia. However, none of those disputes will have an influence on Russia’s firm stance on Syria. And Moscow believes any intervention in Syria would be an assault on its national interests. Some pundits say the Russians want to use the Syrian issue as leverage to make a deal with the West over a number of longstanding disputes. However, Russian officials have enumerated several critical and vital interests in the Middle East, and they know that any deal with the West could jeopardize those national interests. Some observers believe Russia’s persistence in the current confrontation with the West may isolate the country in the international community. However, Moscow’s resistance has shown that it is the West which is becoming isolated and that the United States and its allies are no longer able to redraw the political map of the region based on their whims. The establishment of a pro-Western government in Syria would seriously destabilize the Middle East because it would give Israel what it has sought for a very long time. Clearly, Russia will continue to view the Middle East as a geostrategically important region. And thus, Moscow’s strong stance on the Middle East will neutralize Western governments’ extensive efforts to persuade Russian officials to join their side.