The latent force of historical ties

With its military operations in Syria, Moscow’s influence on the international stage has increased. But the ties between the two countries date way back and provide insight into the current situation.

When trying to understand the historical and geopolitical context in which Russia’s ties with the Middle East developed over time, we should not reduce Russia’s presence in Syria to a mere legacy of Soviet diplomacy. We must travel back in time to take in the big picture of Moscow’s ambitions in the eastern Mediterranean arena to the era of Russia’s wars with the Ottoman Empire.

In 1774, the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca ended the war (1768-1774) between the Russian and Ottoman Empires. St. Petersburg emerged victorious, gaining the port of Kherson, the Crimean ports of Yeni-Kale and Kerch, and passage through the Dardanelles Strait for Russian sea vessels, though the latter access created new tensions with their Turkish neighbours. 

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