The civil war in Syria may well provoke direct clashes between Russia and the United States.

Despite attempts to understand the goals of both sides, few realize the common goal of Russia in the Middle East. Based on the words of Zbigniew Brzezinski, Syria can become a sort of Eurasian Balkans, but this does not end the specifics of Russian politics in the region.

The former US National Security Advisor says: "We must urgently understand the nature of Russia's goals. Without this, the US will not be able to formulate a strategy for action in the Middle East. "

While on its territory, Russia is always in a state of combat readiness, and as a large and powerful global force is able to resist the attempts of the West to undermine the way of life of other states.

In other words, the support of the Assad regime in Syria gives Moscow the opportunity to show the United States that it needs to be treated as an equal, large and global force. Given the development of the military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation, the availability of nuclear potential and supersonic missiles (which the overseas power is so afraid of), the grounds for claiming the role of the subject (and not the object) of world politics are more than justified.

The Kremlin's understanding of the role of global power also implies cooperation with the United States in the field of warfare against terrorism.

Does Russia, as a participant in the conflict in Syria, pursue other goals? Perhaps the strengthening of power in the Middle East and the construction of military bases in the region will allow Moscow to realize their historical intentions - to establish military power in the Mediterranean, thereby cutting off NATO access to the Black Sea and thereby limiting the ability of the North Atlantic Alliance to deploy its military operations against Russia in the Middle East or the Balkans.

The basing of Russian military personnel in the Middle East and the Mediterranean basin is an inevitable consequence of the transition of Crimea to Russia in 2014.

* Matrials of speeches at the Atlantic Council - USA

Atlantic Council (Atlantic Council) is an American non-governmental analytical center in the field of international relations, which provides and serves the ideology of NATO development. It was founded in 1961 year with the aim of "maintaining and strengthening cooperation between the US and Europe, which began after the Second World War."