Great Power Competition in the Middle East: The United States, Russia, and China

Abstract

The Middle East has become one of the epicentres of the Great Power rivalry with all three Great Powers; the United States of America, Russia, and China, taking part at the same time. This paper focuses on the policies of Great Powers and how they can affect stability in the region, the sovereignty of the countries in the region and the geopolitical community. The US remains committed to its military strength, alliances and ideological power in order to reinforce its strategic goals and deter its opponents whereas Russia is interested in selective military intervention, energy diplomacy and mediation of conflicts as a means of reaping the most with the minimum political and economic price. China, on the other hand, underlines economic interaction, the development of infrastructure, and non-interventionist foreign policy to gain long-term strategic alliances without being involved in conflicts in the region. This multipolar interaction has greatly strengthened regional states which enables Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel and Iran to exploit the benefits of multiple outside association and avoid being over reliant on a single power. Nevertheless, the risks associated with such interactions are the overlapped interests and strategic goals of external actors, which are accompanied by proxy wars, miscalculations, and increased competition. Combining political, military, and economic aspects, this paper can indicate that the Middle East is currently functioning under a dynamic multipolar system, but regional actors contribute actively to the final results. The results indicate that there is a necessity to develop subtle measures balancing competition and cooperation, which will guarantee stability, development, and security in a fast-changing geopolitical world.

Keywords: Great Power Competition; Middle East; United States; Russia; China; Multipolarity