All Policy Analysis by Anna Borshchevskaya

Such an option could limit the risk of escalation, pressure Russia, and help avert a humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.

Instead of leaving misinformation and whataboutism largely unchallenged, Washington and its allies need to express their perspective to Arab audiences more effectively while highlighting Russian and Chinese hypocrisy.

In the Middle East, rising prices combined with growing populations could stir social unrest, as occurred during the Arab Spring period.

An in-depth look at how the two countries developed such a complex strategic relationship, and why Ukraine may present them with the most serious bilateral test of the Putin era.

Ukraine is no Syria, and Putin’s miscalculations are astonishing—but the West still faces grave risks of its own, including military escalation, mass refugee flows, and food shortages for Middle Eastern partners.

Three experts discuss whether the war might alter Washington’s calculus on rapprochement with Turkey, regional military deployments, and wider great power competition.

Putin’s deep experience with manipulating ceasefires and humanitarian agreements in Syria gives ample reason to believe he will do the same in Ukraine.

One potential outcome is a shattering loss that causes the Russian people to rethink what goals their state should pursue, though domestic opinion seems sharply divided along generational lines.

A video explainer on the war’s causes, Putin’s mindset, and the likely consequences if the West does not check his imperial ambitions.

Whether Putin aims to occupy the entire country or hold strategic areas as buffer zones, the West will likely need to rethink European security.

In Afghanistan, Syria, and other conflict zones, Moscow has made a habit of obfuscating its intentions and actions via fake withdrawal announcements.

Washington needs to show Putin that this will not be the limited intervention he was able to get away with in Syria, but rather a catalyst for dramatic NATO entrenchment and strategic setbacks.

If Washington wants Putin to act differently, it must demonstrate less risk aversion, whether in Ukraine or in Middle East conflict zones like Syria and Iraq.

The Russian troop deployment to Kazakhstan demonstrates how the Kremlin's principles depart from those of its Western rivals.

The lessons Moscow learned from the 1991 Gulf War and the 2015 Syria intervention reveal much about the strategy, tactics, and weapons systems it might use (or already be using) in Ukraine.

Washington’s tacit acquiescence to normalization with a war criminal has shown the world who won the Syria war—and, by extension, what can be gained from challenging U.S. policy.

The UN aid mechanism is alive for another six months, but the threat of famine, Russian vetoes, and military escalation will persist unless Washington takes appropriate steps before the next round of renewal negotiations.

Some Western policymakers seem to believe that Russia can be helpful on Iran even as it threatens to attack Ukraine, but they’re missing the bigger picture.

Reflecting on the thirtieth anniversary of the Soviet collapse makes clear that Moscow and its pragmatic anti-Western approach never fully left the region.

Israel seems to hope that differences between Moscow and Tehran will emerge with greater clarity as the fighting ends, but this view reflects wishful thinking more than reality.