The Strained Position of Neutrality

Jordan and the Russia-Ukraine War

It will be difficult for Jordan to remain neutral during the global confrontation around the war in Ukraine.

The Russian war on Ukraine, with its global ramifications, has further intensified and maintained the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The world started to feel the domino effect on commodity and supply chain issues due to the Russian invasion similar to that at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago. This recent instability is creating new realities for many countries relevant to social, economic and security issues including basic needs, such as food supply, that will have to be tackled.

Further, the invasion of Ukraine is effecting global politics. While the United States and its allies in the EU and NATO adopted clear positions, some usually “pro-American” countries did not embrace the US line. This is particularly evident with the Gulf countries, e.g. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who are looking for opportunities to renegotiate their positions with the Biden administration. This paper will look at the position of Jordan.

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Jordan’s Political Relations with Russia and Ukraine

Jordan has enjoyed stable relations with Russia and Ukraine. Jordan, under the late King Hussein had witnessed historical relations with the Soviet Union, on personal and national levels, with some military cooperation particular during the reign of Nikita Sergeyevish Khrushchev (1958-1964). However, during most of the Cold War, Jordan adopted an anti-Soviet position that was marked by an absence of ideological rapprochement on the official level. At the same time, many Jordanians received higher education at USSR universities due to various reasons, such as the free tuition and the strong presence to Communist and Socialist parties in the Hashemite Kingdom, linked ideologically to Moscow.

In the current epoch of King Abdullah II, relations with Putin’s Russia witnessed more frequent visits and cooperation, even on the military level. Some notable examples include the joint production of the Russian RPG-32 Barkas bearing the name “Hashem” and the purchase of two Ilyushin Il-76MF military transport planes. Moreover, the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) and its Russian counterpart signed a memorandum of military technical cooperation in Moscow in September 2019. Last but not least, there was an attempt to launch a joint nuclear project, but it was suspended without any clear reason.

With the eruption of war in Syria and the strong Russian military presence there, Jordan inaugurated a new phase of cooperation with Russia. In 2017 and with US presence, Russia and Jordan established a hub in Amman to monitor a southwest Syria cease-fire agreement. In addition, on the invitation of Russia, Jordan participated as an ‘observer’ in a technical meeting during the 17th round of talks in the Astana peace process to discuss a ceasefire agreement in Syria.

The strong diplomatic ties in recent years are also evident through the number of meetings between diplomatic representatives of both countries. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, have had more than 52 interactions, either through in-person meetings or through phone calls.

Read the full paper from the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung here.

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