Russian President Putin sees an opportunity to drive a wedge into the transatlantic partnership, exploiting disagreements between Washington and its European allies over the Ukrainian issue. From Moscow’s perspective, Europe remains the last obstacle to achieving its goals in the war due to its geographical proximity to Ukraine and Russia, its economic power, and its sweeping support for Ukraine, as well as its readiness to provide both military and economic assistance. Against this backdrop, Russia has intensified its rhetoric...
Russia has a long history of nuclear energy cooperation with Iran. Until recently, it maintained a constructive position on international efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Russia balanced the benefits of its nuclear energy cooperation with Iran alongside its relationships with the United States and its commitment to the robust nonproliferation regime. However, recent developments may have affected Russia’s position on the Iranian nuclear program and could help Iran obtain nuclear weapons. The Joint...
The circumstances of the downing of a plane belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines and the official responses by Azerbaijan, Russia, and Kazakhstan highlight the complex and dynamic nature of Russia’s relations with its neighboring countries in the post-Soviet era. While Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and other countries in Central Asia would like to reduce their dependence on Russia, Moscow’s current economic weakness—a result of the international sanctions imposed on it—has made it increasingly reliant on these countries. This dynamic has...
The surprise attack by rebel forces against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is currently shaking the already fragile Syrian arena. Within just a few days, the rebel organizations managed to take control of Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, while engaging in widespread attacks on regime forces and their supporters—without effective resistance from the regime, as was the case during the Syrian civil war. Turkey, which supports the rebels, apparently gave them the green light to launch the offensive and is hoping to...
Frequent discussions in recent weeks between senior Russian and Iranian officials indicate a tightening of strategic ties between the two countries. From Russia’s perspective, the war in Ukraine and the military confrontations involving Israel represent interconnected elements in military, economic, and diplomatic spheres. Thus, Russia’s reliance on Iranian arms supplies amid its prolonged war in Ukraine underscores its attentiveness to Iran’s military and strategic needs. At the same time, the extent of Russian support for Iran...
The Russian presidential election that was held on March 15–17 provided Russian military bloggers with an opportunity to promote a pro-Putin and pro-war narrative. An analysis of posts from three leading Telegram channels that appeared in the four months preceding the election indicates their connection with promoting the legitimacy of the government and continuing the war in Ukraine. In the election campaign, the posts depicted Ukraine and the West as antidemocratic and as trying to sabotage Russian democracy. Putin, for his part,...
Since the Hamas attack on October 7, Russia has taken a distinctly pro-Hamas line, and President Vladimir Putin even linked the fate of Russia and the fate of the Palestinian people. This position stems from an approach embraced by Putin whereby the world is transitioning from a unipolar to a multipolar order. According to this approach, Israel belongs to the West, led by the United States, and as such is part of the pole that is hostile to Russia. The discourse among Russian academics, opinion makers, and foreign policy experts...
Since October 7, Russia has sided with Hamas, refuses to condemn the murderous terror attack that the organization perpetrated in the western Negev, and has questioned Israel’s right to defend itself. Russia’s behavior should underscore to Israel the need to change its policy toward the Kremlin and to stand firmly with Western nations, under the leadership of the United States.
The Russian Wagner Group (the private military company “Wagner”) was formed in 2014. Despite Russian law prohibiting the establishment of private armies, the group operated together with the government and with its approval. Its goal was to advance Russia’s political interests via military means, at the behest of the government and without public approval. The group also operated for the economic benefit of its director, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a business figure from the Russian underground.
Over the years, the Wagner Group conducted...
The invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated Russia’s demographic crisis: military recruitment and a wave of emigration have aggravated the reality of the low birthrate and life expectancy. The population is shrinking and its composition has changed. Young educated men are leaving, and Ukrainian refugees, most of whom are elderly, women, or children, have arrived. Under Vladimir Putin, Russia has invested much effort to address the demographic crisis, but with little success. Now that the country is embroiled in the war in Ukraine, it...
On the eve of the hostilities between Russia and Ukraine that erupted in February 2022, and even more so in the course of the war, many private companies, at their own initiative, adopted an active stance on the conflict in two main spheres: sending direct and intensive aid to Ukraine, and curbing or ceasing operations in Russia. These measures have an impact on the economic situation on both sides of the conflict, as well as on the course of the war. This is an important and partly new phenomenon that could have implications for...
Russia is known to figure prominently among economic and foreign policy considerations of Arab states, notwithstanding the failures of the Russian army in the war in Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on it. For the Arab Gulf states, Russia is primarily an essential partner for regulation of energy prices, influence over Iran, and leverage vis-à-vis the United States. Moscow for its part uses these Arab states’ need for close relations to enhance its presence and influence in the Middle East, and to reduce the isolation and toll of...
