How the Middle East Became an Arena for Putin’s Power Struggle With the U.S.

The Middle East sees Russia as a key player that balances the great power competition that engulfs the region. Conflict across the Middle East continues to spiral, and the future US position in the region remains at the forefront of foreign policy discussions. However, this discussion would be incomplete without looking at Russia’s role in the region—specifically, how Moscow uses defense relationships to enable long-term competition with the West in the Middle East. In the backdrop of the ongoing escalation between Iran and its proxies with the United States and Israel stands the question of long-term competition between great powers…