Russia Working to Establish Military Bases in European Union Member

The past two years have seen a steady rise in Russia’s willingness to deploy its navy into the Mediterranean, to Syria, and Cyprus in order to demonstrate Russian power, support the Bashar al-Assad government, check Turkish designs on Syria and Cyprus, and thwart Western intervention in Syria. These Russian actions have nearly classically resembled gunboat diplomacy to gain strategic advantage and coerce other powers. And in addition to Moscow announcing a permanent naval deployment to the Mediterranean, the Kremlin is now adding to that escalation with the apparent request for military basing in Cyprus. Such reports are not new; Cyprus denied that Russia had made such a request back in summer 2012. But now more detailed information suggests that Russia has appealed to Cyprus for permission to set up a naval base at Limassol and an air base at Paphos.

Cypriot sources claim that there has been an upsurge in bilateral diplomatic activity between Nicosia and Moscow in the last two months over requests for use of the Andreas Papandreou Air Base at Paphos and the port at Limassol. Moreover, reportedly, the Russian Navy’s floating ship-repair yard might move from Syria to Cyprus.