Russian Federation's Policy towards the Middle East under President Boris Yeltsin

The fall of the bipolar system and disintegration of the Soviet Union, because of shift in international equations and change in perspectives, have led Russia to wield more extensive opportunitiesand possibilities for presence in the Middle East as compared to the past. Influential regional players particularly the United States do not evaluate Russian Federation’s presence in the region within the framework of zero-sum game, indicating that they do not see it necessary to confront Russia. Russian Federation was then considered as a rival in the region. Boris Yeltsin’s rise to power caused Russia’s more active and extensive presence in the Middle East, heralding a new era for expanding its influence.