Publication

This paper examines Russia's 2014 foreign policy stance toward the crises in the Middle East, including the challenges created by the rise of the Islamic State (IS). The author argues that some of the main objectives that Moscow is attempting to achieve through its Middle East policy which includes the decision not to join the US-led coalition against IS, is to 1) restore Moscow as an influential actor in the region and 2) exploit the sectarian tensions in the Middle East in order to divert attention from the crisis in Ukraine. The author also discusses how the crises in Ukraine and the Middle East are having a positive effect on Russia-Israel relations.