Abstract: This paper traces the evolution of Russian/Soviet foreign policy in the Gulf region from the early 20th century to the present amidst competition with the United Kingdom and United States and such issues and events as the two World Wars, the Cold War, the fall of the Soviet Union and the three Gulf Wars. Utilizing Russian archive documents and other such primary documentation, Melkumyan explores the multi-faceted relationships between Russia/the USSR and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Iraq to a great degree and those with the smaller GCC states to a lesser degree. The study is characterized by its heavy reliance on Russian primary documentation and its birds-eye view of developments in Russian foreign policy.

Dr. Elena Melkumyan is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the Moscow State University Institute for Asian and African Studies. Her research focuses on Russian foreign relations and policy in the Middle East in general and the Gulf region in particular.