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The war in Syria has put Russia at the centre of Middle Eastern politics. Moscow's return to the region following a prolonged period of absence has enhanced its geopolitical status and it has emerged as a rival to the West. Yet, contrary to the media hype, Vladimir Putin is not set to become the new power-broker in this strategically important part of the world.

Co-authored by a team of prominent scholars and analysts from the EU, US, Russia and the Middle East, this book explores Russia's role in the Middle East and North Africa, the diverse drivers shaping its policy, and the response from local players. Chapters map out the history of Russian involvement, before and after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the impact on key issues such as security and defence, regional conflicts, arms trade, and energy, as well as relations with influential states and country clusters such as Iran, the Gulf, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, and the Maghreb. It also looks at how the Middle East impacts on Russia's relations with the West.

The book offers a balanced assessment of Russian influence, highlighting both the political, diplomatic and commercial gains made thanks to Putin's decision, in September 2015, to intervene militarily in Syria and the constraints preventing Moscow from replacing the United States as a regional hegemon.

Russia Rising: Putin's Foreign Policy in the Middle East and North Africa

Part I: Russia in the Middle East: From the Soviet Union to Putin

Chapter 1: The Soviet Union in the Middle East: An Overview

Florence Gaub, Nicu Popescu, Dimitar Bechev

Chapter 2: What Drives Russia's Policy in the Middle East?

Dmitri Trenin, Carnegie Moscow

Part II: Russian Policy in Action

Chapter 3: Russia in Syria: A Military Analysis

Anton Lavrov, Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST), Moscow

Chapter 4: The Non-War on Daesh

Florence Gaub, EUISS

Chapter 5: Russian Arms Exports in the Middle East

Timofey Borisov, Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST), Moscow

Chapter 6: Russia's Energy Diplomacy in the Middle East

Carole Nakhle, Crystol Energy

Part III: Regional Partnerships

Chapter 7: Russia and Iran: It's Complicated

Carol R. Saivetz, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Chapter 8: Russia and the 'Resistance Axis'

Julien Barnes-Dacey, ECFR

Chapter 9: Russia and Turkey: the Promise and the Limits of Partnership

Dimitar Bechev, University of North Carolina/Atlantic Council

Chapter 10: Understanding Russia-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) relations

Dmitriy Frolovskiy, independent expert

Chapter 11: Russia and Egypt: Precarious Honeymoon

Alexey Khlebnikov, Russian International Affairs Council

Chapter 12: The 'Comrades' in the Maghreb

Dalia Ghanem, Carnegie Middle East Centre, Beirut

Chapter 13: Russia and Israel: An Improbable Friendship

Mark N. Katz, George Mason University

Conclusion: Russia in the Middle East and North Africa: A Balance Sheet

Stanislav Secrieru, Dimitar Bechev