Russia’s New Middle East Strategy

Jan 22, 2026

Also published in National Interest
Russian President Vladimi Putin tours an exhibit of Tsarist weapons on display in the UAE in 2007 - source: Reuteurs
About the Authors
Anna Borshchevskaya
Anna Borshchevskaya

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

Matt Tavares

Matt Tavares is a former analyst for the Pentagon, focusing on Russian military strategy and U.S. foreign policy.

Articles & Testimony

Moscow has certainly not left the Middle East playing field, and many countries will continue expanding their Russian ties unless Washington convinces them there are better options.

Don’t count Russia out in the Middle East. Conventional wisdom suggests it is rapidly losing influence across the region, but Russia remains an active force there, and the United States should move to thwart these ambitions. Of course, many of Vladimir Putin’s regional partners have been weakened or collapsed in recent months. Rebels ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, and Israel has pummeled Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which are backed by the Kremlin’s longtime friend Iran. Putin’s war of choice in Ukraine also continues to deplete Russia’s resources. But these setbacks have not yet amounted to a geostrategic defeat or a regional realignment. Russia does not just retain a presence in the Middle East; it is poised for a resurgence...

Read the full article on the National Interest website.

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