Overview

Vladimir Putin has almost by stealth trans- formed himself into an historic Russian figure. His undeniable political dominance was reflected in his return to presidential control after the March 2012 elections, having placed an obedient President Dmitry Medvedev in a stop-gap presidency. Since 1999 Putin's growing power transposed itself in foreign affairs and nowhere did Russia's reemergence on the world stage have more impact than in the Middle East. Russia's new role and identity had its roots in the late Yeltsin era but Putin has subtly deflated the balloon of US power by cleverly manipulating developments in the Middle East including Iraq, Lebanon, the Palestinian- Israeli conflict, the Syrian revolution and other regional issues. Yet twenty years earlier Russia was a very different place, and as it took its first fragile steps in a world full of dangers, the Middle East was not a top priority. This book charts the remarkable conversion in Russian Middle East policy that developed after the turning point in 2005-2006, which mirrored Putin's turn to unbridled authoritarianism. It remains to be seen whether Putin's increasingly pugnacious Middle East policies can be reconciled with Russia's long term interests economically and strategically.

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9781849042598

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Reviews

'It is impossible to understand the contemporary Middle East without understanding the interests and role of the Russian Federation. Nizameddin provides an innovative analysis of the foreign policies pursued under Putin's presidencies in this explosive region. If you read just one book on Russia and the Middle East, read this one.' - Peter J.S. Duncan, Senior Lecturer in Russian Politics and Society, School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London

Author Information

Talal Nizameddin has been studying and researching Russia and the Middle East for twenty years. His first book, Russia and the Middle East: Towards a New Foreign Policy, spanned the Yeltsin era and was published in 1999. He has worked and taught in the US, Europe and the Middle East to enrich his research interests in Russian foreign policy. He was formerly Lecturer in International Relations at Haigazian University, Beirut

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