The Russia-Middle East policy has demonstrated considerable resilience,... ... Kremlin would not be able to sustain its military presence in Syria at previous levels. There were speculations that the special ... ... Israel’s deep political crisis, or the China-brokered Saudi-Iranian rapprochement. However, the crisis in Eastern Europe did ... ... bumpy and less predictable in future.
Ilya Vedeneyev:
Syria–Turkey Relations: A Road to Normalization
Nonetheless, any deterioration ...
The goal of the round table was to discuss the dynamics of quadrilateral cooperation in the context of regional trends in the Middle East. The meeting was attended by leading experts from Russia, Iran, Turkey and Syria
On October 18, 2023, a closed round table “Cooperation between Russia, Iran, Turkey and Syria in the Context of Regional Dynamics” was held. Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) in cooperation with Institute for Iran & Eurasia studies ...
... China-mediated rapprochement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Given that these countries are regional “centers of power”, their new and... ... Iran’s relations with other countries, especially its evolving cooperation with China, Russia and Saudi Arabia. If any agreement has been reached (which is currently too early... ... important factor shaping the Middle East’s approach to international relations is Turkey’s foreign policy. Particularly important, is Turkey’s position on Syria prior to the presidential elections in May 2023, and the new aspects it has now...
... desert areas in the east (al-Badia).
Time after time, localized armed clashes, mysterious assassinations, exchanges of artillery and rocket attacks are frequent in different parts of the country, especially in the south (Deraa-Suweida-Quneitra triangle). Syria remains an arena for score-settling between Israel and Iran, Turkey and the Kurdish militias, as well as the geopolitical rivalry between Russia and the United States. Chronic instability seems to have become the new Syrian norm. Getting used to this uncertain reality is perceived by many inside and outside Syria as something inevitable that will have to continue.
Whatever the security ...
... active opposition to the Turkish operation from the United States, which is cornered with optimizing its resources in the Middle East, as well as Ankara's position on accepting Finland and Sweden to NATO. However, if Turkey faces active opposition from Iran, Russia, and the United States, the operation may be postponed.
Kirill Semenov:
Istanbul Terrorist Attack: What Awaits Turkey and its Neighbors?
Syria considers any attacks on its territory a violation of national sovereignty. Turkey, in turn, refers back to the Sochi Memorandum of Understanding, signed in October 2019 to defend its considered actions. According to the Memorandum, Kurdish groups ...
... solutions to provoke wider discussion about them in order to discover whether they are acceptable for all stakeholders. As for Turkey, Russia did indeed unofficially legitimize its sphere of influence in Syria, but should begin talking more about how destabilizing it is become and how counterproductive Ankara’s unrealistically recalcitrant stance on compromising on President Assad’s political future is for the peace process. Concerning Iran, Russia should applaud its anti-terrorist contributions but consider highlighting its regionally destabilizing role vis-a-vis ...
... the U.S. sometimes makes to its partners) increases its appeal among their elite, but soft power among civil society does not appear to be too significant except in the tourism industry.
South Caucasus: Tricky Relations with Turkey
Andrey Kortunov:
Syria: In the Middle of a Long Cycle
It is here at the juncture between Russia, Turkey, and Iran where Moscow recently made the most impressive progress in the Ummah Pivot. Its peacekeeper deployment to parts of Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region as part of the
Moscow-mediated ceasefire agreement
between it and Armenia in November of last year ...
... external aid and progress in the intra-Syrian dialogue into a single stabilization package.
Maxim Suchkov:
Russia in the Middle East: “Be with Us — and Remain Yourself”
Another important set of issues raised by our Damascus partners pertains to Russia being “an ally for Syria, Israel, Iran and Turkey” in the continuing conflict and to what the nature of Russia–U.S. contacts is.
It is no secret that the foreign political services of both countries have always maintained a working exchange of current information. This is particularly true ...
... mainly in Tripoli, unless an agreement is reached among militant groups in addition to Turkey, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, the USA and Russia. The impeachment process of US President Donald Trump and the US role in the MENA region would determine the future of conflicts in many countries starting from Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya and the future government in Lebanon, Iraq and Algeria, Turkey and Iran. It is also expected that many MENA capitals will witness protests that would change the balance of power in the region. ...
What might be a “second option” for Russia in Syria?
The situation around Russia in Syria is up for debate. No doubt, Russia would like to lead a reconstruction effort in Syria, in harmony with all relevant partners, including the UN, the EU, the USA, China, India, Turkey, Iran, Israel, the Sunni Arab states including the Golf Council Countries (GCC-states), Egypt and Morocco. However, many of the parties on the list of wished-for partners are strongly hostile to each other, and it might therefore perhaps not be possible ...
