US participation in attempts to diplomatically resolve the war in Syria during the presidency of Barack Obama (2011–2017)

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to analyze the evolution of the American approach to the Syrian crisis during the presidency of Barack Obama (2011–2017), to identify the main factors that influenced the adoption of Washington's foreign policy decisions, as well as to assess the role of the United States in international attempts to politically resolve the conflict.

It is argued that at the initial stage of the Syrian conflict, US policy was characterized by caution, contradictions and the lack of a coherent strategy. The Obama administration sought to avoid direct military intervention, limiting itself to diplomatic pressure and calls for reforms. At the same time, as the conflict escalated, Washington’s position gradually became radicalized: the United States moved from supporting political dialogue to demanding the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad and diplomatic recognition of the Syrian opposition.

The article analyzes the activities of international negotiation formats – the Geneva Process, the Vienna Talks and the Friends of Syria group. It is substantiated that the key obstacles to a peaceful settlement were the contradictions between external actors, primarily the USA and Russia, as well as the deep split of the Syrian opposition. Special attention is paid to the influence of the factor of international rivalry in the UN Security Council, where Russia and China blocked pro-Western resolutions on Syria, while the USA and its allies tried to increase diplomatic and political pressure on the government in Damascus. It is emphasized that the emergence and strengthening of the Islamic State changed the priorities of American policy in the Middle East, temporarily relegating the issue of a political settlement of the Syrian conflict to the background. Russia's entry into the war in Syria in 2015 significantly changed the balance of power and forced Washington to move to a more pragmatic approach, including negotiations with the participation of Iran. It is concluded that at the end of the presidency of B. Obama, the influence of the United States on the Syrian settlement noticeably decreased, while the initiative gradually passed to Russia, Turkey and Iran, which launched the Astana negotiation format.