Great Power Competition

Policy Analysis on Great Power Competition

Turkish President Erdogan meets Ukrainian President Zelenskiy in Kyiv - source: Reuters

In theory, Iran, Turkey, the Gulf, and other regional players offer potential leverage of various kinds over Moscow, but closer examination suggests that most of these links are of limited utility at best.

Jan 28, 2022

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David Pollock

Articles & Testimony

Is It Time to Get Tough With Russia?

If Washington wants Putin to act differently, it must demonstrate less risk aversion, whether in Ukraine or in Middle East conflict zones like Syria and Iraq.

Jan 27, 2022

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Dennis Ross
Anna Borshchevskaya

Sailors aboard a Turkish Naval Forces warship - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Will Turkey Help Washington If Russia Invades Ukraine?

Fears of Russian military power may keep Ankara out of the spotlight, but its Black Sea calculations and Crimean Tatar sympathies indicate a willingness to assist behind the scenes if necessary.

Jan 26, 2022

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Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

War for Peace

How Moscow Expands Its Clout Under the Guise of “Peacekeeping Operations”

The Russian troop deployment to Kazakhstan demonstrates how the Kremlin's principles depart from those of its Western rivals.

Jan 24, 2022

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Anna Borshchevskaya

A sign identifying the NordStream 2 pipeline - source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

The Russia-Ukraine Crisis Is Creating an Energy Predicament

For once, an emerging energy crisis isn’t Middle East-focused, but it will still have implications for that region, including countries that missed out on hydrocarbon wealth.

Jan 24, 2022

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Simon Henderson

Illustration of chess pieces and the Russian and Ukrainian flags - source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

Russia’s Desert Storm: Putin’s Plan to Use America’s Military Playbook Against Ukraine?

The lessons Moscow learned from the 1991 Gulf War and the 2015 Syria intervention reveal much about the strategy, tactics, and weapons systems it might use (or already be using) in Ukraine.

Jan 23, 2022

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Anna Borshchevskaya

Articles & Testimony

Russia’s Strategic Success in Syria and the Future of Moscow’s Middle East Policy

Washington’s tacit acquiescence to normalization with a war criminal has shown the world who won the Syria war—and, by extension, what can be gained from challenging U.S. policy.

Jan 23, 2022

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Anna Borshchevskaya

Brief Analysis

Recasting Syria’s Cross-Border Aid Debate

The UN aid mechanism is alive for another six months, but the threat of famine, Russian vetoes, and military escalation will persist unless Washington takes appropriate steps before the next round of renewal negotiations.

Jan 21, 2022

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Anna Borshchevskaya
Andrew J. Tabler
Calvin Wilder

Brief Analysis

Will the Ukraine Standoff Affect the Iran Nuclear Talks?

Some Western policymakers seem to believe that Russia can be helpful on Iran even as it threatens to attack Ukraine, but they’re missing the bigger picture.

Jan 11, 2022

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Anna Borshchevskaya

US President Bush and Soviet leader Gorbachev shake hands at a Moscow press conference in 1991 - Source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

How the Death of the Soviet Union Transformed the Middle East

Reflecting on the thirtieth anniversary of the Soviet collapse makes clear that Moscow and its pragmatic anti-Western approach never fully left the region.

Dec 21, 2021

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Anna Borshchevskaya

Articles & Testimony

Would Russia Ever Help Syria Break Away From Iranian Influence?

Israel seems to hope that differences between Moscow and Tehran will emerge with greater clarity as the fighting ends, but this view reflects wishful thinking more than reality.

Dec 16, 2021

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Anna Borshchevskaya

Brief Analysis

Delta Crescent Energy: Refining U.S. Stabilization Strategies in Northeast Syria

If the Biden administration moves forward with canceling the company’s license, it will need to prepare for increased military and economic pressure in the northeast amid further encroachment by Russian personnel.

Nov 24, 2021

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Calvin Wilder
Kenneth R. Rosen

Audio

Brief Analysis

Podcast: Russia's War in Syria

Leading scholars examine the origins and current trends of Russian involvement in the Middle East, as well as implications for U.S. strategy in the region.

Nov 23, 2021

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Anna Borshchevskaya
Lester Grau
Michael McFaul

◆ Middle East PolicyCast

A Middle Eastern migrant with guards at the Belarus/Poland border. Source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

The EU Migrant Crisis: Options for Border Security and U.S. Interests

Spurred by conflicts in the Middle East, North Africa, and Afghanistan, the migration emergency in Belarus gives Washington an opportunity to foster cooperative agreements and goodwill.

Nov 19, 2021

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Kenneth R. Rosen
Calvin Wilder

A Turkish soldier stands guard at a rally. Image source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Turkey vs. the YPG: What’s Next?

As Ankara and Moscow mull a potential exchange of Syria border incursions for Idlib concessions, Erdogan risks endangering his intertwined goals of improving Turkey’s economy and minimizing tensions with Washington.

Nov 16, 2021

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Soner Cagaptay

Video

Brief Analysis

The Future of Putin's War in Syria

A former U.S. ambassador to Russia joins two experts for a discussion on what the six-year intervention can tell us about Moscow’s broader foreign policy.

Nov 8, 2021

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Anna Borshchevskaya
Lester Grau
Michael McFaul

Articles & Testimony

Biden’s Other Setback: OPEC+ Ignores His Plea for Help

The political costs of oil and gas pricing are increasing amid diplomatic snubs, LNG logistics, and the onset of winter weather.

Nov 8, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

Don’t Let China Distract Us from Russia

Putin has a long list of achievements in the Middle East and is not leaving the stage anytime soon, so Washington must respond to the hardnosed realism that drives him to undermine U.S. influence.

Oct 29, 2021

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Anna Borshchevskaya

Brief Analysis

Turkey’s F-16 Request May Not Stave Off the Inevitable

Washington and Ankara have significant diplomatic and security incentives for considering the deal, while rejecting it outright would likely hasten Erdogan’s drift into Putin’s orbit.

Oct 28, 2021

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Grant Rumley
Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

China and Mideast Leverage: Hiding in Plain Sight

Washington still has good cards to play in terms of Iran’s destabilizing activities, the U.S. security umbrella over Gulf energy supplies, and Arab public opinion toward China and America.

Oct 22, 2021

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David Pollock

Supported by the

Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East

The Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East focuses on the region as a setting for heightened competition between the United States and other world powers, such as China and Russia.

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Featured experts

Grant Rumley

Grant Rumley is the Meisel-Goldberger Senior Fellow and Director of the Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Anna Borshchevskaya

Anna Borshchevskaya is the Harold Grinspoon Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute, focusing on Russia's policy toward the Middle East.

Michael Singh

Michael Singh is the Managing Director and Lane-Swig Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute.

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Great Power Competition

Policy Analysis on Great Power Competition

Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East

Featured experts

Regions & Countries

Issues

Great Power Competition

Policy Analysis on Great Power Competition

Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East

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Featured experts