USA and Russia in Syria and Ukraine: The Irony of Geo-Political Interventions

Abstract

The battle between the USA and Russia that had been snuffed by the demise of the Soviet Union has been rekindled. The USA and Russia have regional doctrines that demarcate areas to which outside powers cannot encroach. However, the Middle East has remained a contested region for the two powers. USA has also sought to encroach into the backyard of Russia in order to contain the resurgence of the Eastern power. Both states have sought to protect their regions of influence and in the era beginning with the Arab spring, the doctrine of humanitarian intervention has been used to justify geo-political interventions. This article argues that the current tussle between the USA and Russia on Syria and Ukraine can be understood more from geopolitical struggles than from the humanitarian intervention argument