The article covers the basic mechanisms of Russian-American cooperation in the Gulf region, as well as the factors contributing to the aggravation of competitive struggle between two superstates are distinguished. The role of the region’s Gulf states in the energy policy of the United States and the Russian Federation was defined. The sense of the energy factor was considered as an instrument of «hard power» in foreign policy.

energy security, energy policy, exporting states, importing states, the pricing of oil market, «energy superstate», «hard power», «soft power»