Matt Tavares is a former analyst for the Pentagon, focusing on Russian military strategy and U.S. foreign policy.
Brief Analysis
Join us for a special conversation with the former top U.S. envoy for Ukraine. Watch live starting at 12:00 noon EST (1700 GMT) on Monday, March 2, 2026.
As the Ukraine war enters its fifth year on February 24, the Trump administration is pushing for a comprehensive peace agreement by early summer, looking to end a global crisis that has exposed deep connections between the European and Middle Eastern theaters. Although Moscow’s position in the latter region has suffered setbacks since 2022, a new Washington Institute paper by Anna Borshchevskaya and Matt Tavares shows why reports of a Russian retreat from the Middle East are premature. Indeed, the Kremlin is well-positioned for a regional resurgence once the fighting in Ukraine pauses.
How might the various possible outcomes for the war in Ukraine affect the Middle East? What steps is Russia likely to take in the region in 2026 and beyond? And what should the U.S. role be in responding to each of these scenarios? To discuss these questions, The Washington Institute is pleased to announce a virtual Policy Forum with Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Keith Kellogg, who will be joined by the aforementioned authors in a panel to be moderated by Segal Executive Director Robert Satloff.
Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Joseph “Keith” Kellogg is a highly decorated U.S. Army general who served until December 2025 as Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine. Previously, he served in the first Trump administration as Senior National Security Advisor and Assistant to the President, as well as National Security Advisor to Vice President Pence.
Matt Tavares is a former Defense Department official with two decades of experience in U.S. national security affairs. His current private-sector work focuses on emerging technologies and the evolving nature of armed conflict.
The Policy Forum series is made possible through the generosity of the Winkler Lowy Foundation.
