American President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Central Command (CENTCOM) and oversee the Unites States (US) operations in the Middle East, Lt. Gen. Erik Kurilla, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could create instability in the Middle East, especially Syria.
Kurilla stressed that the US should not lose sight of the Middle East even as its geopolitical focus has shifted to the Indo-Pacific and Eastern European regions. “If Russia does invade Ukraine, they would not hesitate to be able to act as a spoiler in Syria as well,” he said.
“The Middle East is home to nine of the top 10 violent extremist organisations, including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, which are both reconstituting,” he warned. In order to prevent these organisations from gaining strength, Kurilla urged Washington to “remain engaged” in the Middle East. “It remains home to America’s national interests,” he added.
Russia maintains a strong troop presence in Syria and they have aided the Syrian regime forces in recapturing territory held by rebels. Moscow’s primary interest in the country is geopolitical and controls a naval base in Tartus, which gives it access to the Mediterranean. Syria has also given an air base in Latakia to Russia for a 49-year lease.
Recently, Belarus announced that it would send around 200 troops to help Russian forces in Syria amid tensions with Ukraine. The US believes that if Russia invades Ukraine, it would be emboldened to take aggressive actions in Syria.
In recent months, the US and its European allies have raised concerns over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine this year. The US intelligence reports have indicated the presence of 175,000 Russian troops at the border with Ukraine, drawing parallels to Russia’s invasion of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
Kurilla also told senators that the US’ rivalry with China and Russia is not confined to any particular regions. “The US faces a new era of strategic competition with China and Russia that is not confined to one geographical region and extends into the [CENTCOM’s] area of responsibility,” including the Middle East, he said.
Moreover, he emphasised that China has increased its cooperation with several Middle Eastern countries and has signed strategic agreements with 18 countries in the CENTCOM region. He argued that this indicates that Beijing plans on expanding its influence across the region and the US should be able to “counter” China.
“China has increased their spending 360% in the Middle East,” he added. In this regard, he noted that the US should take active steps to “expose their [China] predatory practices where they treat every country as a client or a customer.” He did not mention what measures Washington should adopt.
Kurilla, who previously served as a deputy at CENTCOM, will replace current commander Gen. Frank McKenzie, if confirmed to the post. He has also served the US in Iraq and Afghanistan and commanded several conventional and special operations units.