Latest Articles about Middle East
Baku’s Plan to Reach Nakhchivan via Iran Unsettling More Than South Caucasus
Baku and Ankara have dropped plans to establish a land corridor to Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave via Armenian territory. Yerevan’s reluctance to reopen the Zangezur Corridor and Western and Iranian opposition to any border changes in the South Caucasus largely motivated this pivot. The Azerbaijani government... MORE
Ukraine and the Global South: Putin’s Two-Front War Against the West (Part Two)
*Read Part One. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s speech to the Security Council on October 30 marks a further step toward positioning Russia at the forefront of anti-Western forces more globally (Kremlin.ru, October 30). In the Hamas-Israel war, the Kremlin is taking the side of Hamas... MORE
Ethnic Strife Resurgent in Russia
Anti-Semitic demonstrations in various cities in the North Caucasus marked the end of October. On October 29, in Dagestan, several hundred people broke into the Flamingo Hotel in Khasavyurt demanding the removal of Jews who had recently arrived from Israel (Ura.news, October 29). On the... MORE
Russia Exploits Israel-Hamas Conflict to Spread Disinformation About War in Ukraine
On October 8, well-known Russian propagandist Andrey Rudenko published a video appearing to show an Israeli Merkava tank that Hamas militants allegedly destroyed with an anti-tank guided missile. According to him, the system that was used to launch the missile had originally been provided to... MORE
Pogroms in North Caucasus Highlight Fragility of Ethnic Relations in Russia
For the first time since the Russian Civil War (November 1917–June 1923), commentators in Russia and abroad are applying the word “pogrom” to the startling events in Russia that began at the end of October. These developments took place not only in Dagestan but also... MORE
Hamas Attacks on Israel Mobilize Supporters in Europe
Echoes of the surprise attacks launched on October 7 from Gaza into Israel by the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, have reverberated throughout Europe. In particular, the attacks have energized radical Islamist groups and radicalized individuals, who have since committed terrorist attacks and held anti-Israeli and... MORE
The Israel-Hamas Conflict Reverberates in the South Caucasus
The South Caucasus has received increased international attention of late with heated discussions on Georgia’s possible EU membership (see EDM, October 19) and growing prospects of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan after the restoration of Baku’s sovereignty over Karabakh on September 20 (see EDM, September... MORE
Putin and Xi Meet as Hidden Differences Mount
Foreign trips are now rare occasions for Russian President Vladimir Putin. As such, it was highly important to him to hold a position above that of the other participants at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on October 17 and 18. Chinese Communist Party... MORE
Ideological Differences on the Israel-Hamas Conflict Divide Belarusians
The mixed reactions of Belarusians to Hamas’ shocking attack in Israel on October 7 underline the ongoing societal divisions in Belarus. For example, the Belarusian newspaper Minskaya Pravda published a column by RT editor Igor Molotov immediately after the fighting broke out. The propagandist rejoiced... MORE
Russian Propaganda Efforts to Capitalize on Fighting in Gaza May Backfire
On October 7, following the brutal attack by Hamas terrorists on Israel, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict began evolving into a full-scale war. The Kremlin's propaganda does not hide the fact that this escalation in the Middle East benefits the Russian state (see EDM, October 16). This... MORE