The Russian Strategy in the Eastern Mediterranean: A Study of Strategic Positioning after 2024

Abstract

The Eastern Mediterranean region is regarded as one of the most sensitive areas in Russia’s geostrategic perception, owing to its geopolitical position that connects three continents and serves as a crossroads for global energy routes and maritime passages. Moscow has long recognized the exceptional significance of this region, considering it a structural pillar in its vision to reshape the international order toward multipolarity—an order that secures its strategic interests and reinforces its status as a major power capable of challenging the West.

The Syrian arena thus became the launching point for Russia’s empowerment strategy in the Middle East and a gateway for strengthening its military and economic presence in the Mediterranean through the consolidation of permanent bases in Tartus and Latakia. and second, the expansion of economic influence by controlling energy corridors and warm-water routes-thereby reinforcing its position as a primary energy supplier in the region. Consequently, the Eastern Mediterranean has emerged as one of the key pillars of Russia’s strategic repositioning after 2024, particularly as Moscow aspires to convert its military presence into enduring political and economic influence.