Russia–Qatar “Rapprochement”: A Tactical Move Driven by Geopolitical and Economic Concerns

... visit to Russia in early January, Moscow and Doha’s rhetoric began to change. In September 2016, the two nations signed a military cooperation agreement followed by a far more important development: the purchase of a 19.5% stake in the state-owned oil major Rosneft by the Qatar Investment Authority and Glencore. These events may appear to herald a new age in Russia–Qatar relations, but in fact, the picture is not as simple. What follows is an attempt to shed a little light on the Russia–Qatar “rapprochement....