The war between Israel and Iran, Russia’s key partner in the Middle East, is entering its second week, with potential for escalation and worrisome spillover effects. Yet Moscow is not rushing to support Tehran in any meaningful way. President Vladimir Putin has even downplayed the significance of the strategic partnership agreement signed with Iran just six months ago. Instead, Putin is courting Donald Trump, offering mediation: an offer the U.S. president was quick to reject. Will there be a more heavy-handed intervention by the Kremlin to help Iran? What cards can Russia still play to remain relevant? How could the escalating conflict in the Middle East affect Russia’s strategic position, including in Ukraine?
Podcast host Alex Gabuev is joined by Justyna Gotkowska, deputy director of the Center for Eastern Studies in Warsaw, to discuss the latest Russia-related incidents over Denmark, Estonia, Norway, and Poland, and what they mean for NATO.
Podcast host Alex Gabuev is joined by Sergey Vakulenko, a senior fellow at Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center and leading expert on Russia’s energy sector, to discuss the state of the Russian oil and gas sector, which remains a crucial source of revenue for Putin’s war machine.
Podcast host Alex Gabuev is joined by Sergey Radchenko, historian and professor of international relations at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and author of the book To Run the World: The Kremlin’s Cold War Bid for Global Power, to discuss the history of Russia-China relations and their current state.
Podcast host Alex Gabuev is joined by his colleague, Artyom Shraibman, a non-resident fellow at Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, and one of the most prominent experts on Belarus, to discuss Belarus’ key role in European security.
Podcast host Alex Gabuev is joined by Farida Rustamova and Margarita Liutova, independent journalists and authors of the Faridaily English-language newsletter, to discuss the shocking suicide of Russia’s transport minister, Roman Starovoit, and what it tells us about the pressure inside Putin’s power system.