Source: RIA Novosti's Russian Angle
While NATO countries are increasingly involved in fighting against authoritarian leaders in the Middle East and North Africa, Russia is moving closer to the role of the middleman. How Russia reacts to an expected UN referendum condemning Syria for violence against protestors may play a significant part in determining Russia's future role in the region.
Speaking on RIA Novosti, Carnegie Moscow's Alexey Malashenko notes that Russia plays an extremely important role as mediator in the current Libyan conflict. If Russia can succeed in this role, there would be a clear positive benefit to Libya and its neighbors. Turning to the increasing violence in other parts of the region, Malashenko argued that a Libya-style involvement by the West in Syria would be a “big mistake,” as it could destabilize the region in unpredictable ways, and that a revolution in Yemen could lead to Islamic radicalization in neighboring states, including as Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea.