Russian influence

A German Air Force Eurofighter jet is seen during the NATO Media Day at Lielvarde Air Base in Lielvarde, Latvia, on Oct. 1, 2026.

Turkey says Qatar Eurofighter jet deal still on track despite Iran war

Ankara expects Doha to submit a draft sales contract for the fighter jets, as Turkey seeks to acquire aircraft that can be delivered sooner than its newly ordered Eurofighters.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (L) shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi upon his arrival in Tehran on Oct. 19, 2026.

Lavrov visits Tehran as Trump praises Russia's role on Iran: What to know

During a meeting with his Iranian counterpart earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin renewed Moscow’s offer to mediate between Tehran and Washington.

A cargo ship at the Port of Trabzon, Turkey

Analysis

Pragmatic politics: Why Turkey avoids blaming Russia for Black Sea attacks

Beyond economics, Ankara’s approach is also shaped by maintaining its role as an indispensable mediator between the Kremlin and the West.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian shake hands during a meeting in Turkmenbashi on Oct. 8, 2026.

Analysis

Putin offers to help end Iran war, but can Russia deliver?

As Washington and Tehran weigh their next moves, Moscow is seeking a diplomatic foothold in a war where influence may prove harder to convert into concrete results.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Latest News

Pezeshkian to meet Putin as Iran looks to Russia for support: What to know

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, on Sept. 1, 2026.

Iran joins SCO drill as China resists direct intervention in US-Iran war

Kyrgyz servicemen take part in the "Eurasia-Antiterror 2023" joint military drills

Syria’s Shibani visits Latakia airport to review Russia deal progress: What to know

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani visits Latakia airport on Sept. 18, 2026.

Why Turkey has few options to protect Black Sea shipping

People swim next to the Russian-flagged cargo ship OMSKIY-107, which was attacked off the Black Sea coast and eventually ran aground off the shore of the Sile district, Istanbul, Sept. 3, 2026.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan pose for a family photo during the annual NATO heads of government summit at the Grove Hotel in Watford, Britain December 4, 2019. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/Pool - RC2COD9N7WI1

Justice Department ordered Turkish TV station to register as foreign agent

The decision came amid an intensifying push by the Donald Trump administration and Congress to get foreign media outlets to register.

Palestinian Hamas chief in the Gaza strip Ismail Haniyeh, gives a speech during a memorial service Three Hamas policemen were killed after two suicide bombings, on September 2, 2019 in Gaza City.
(Photo by Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Hamas in Moscow to mend ties with Syrian regime

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh's visit to Moscow is seen as a potential move to repair relations the Syrian regime.

What was Hamas leader doing in Moscow?

Ismail Haniyeh eyes Russia as a “brotherly nation” and expects Moscow to help reconcile the Palestinians.

In Moscow, Hamas offers 4 plans for Palestinian unity

Russia once again is working with Palestinian factions to unite them and help them defy Washington's plan for peace with Israel.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Moscow, Russia January 30, 2020. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/Pool - RC28QE9XRAWL

Russia as mediator could change Israel, Hamas game rules

Hamas does not want to distance Egypt as the chief mediator between the group and Israel, but it would like to add Russia to the equation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia's King Salman attend a welcome ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 14, 2019. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS - RC14582F97E0

Russia explores way to draw UAE, Saudi Arabia to its Syria policies

As relations with Turkey stall, Moscow seeks ways to engage with the Saudis and Emiratis to have them back in the Syrian game.

Turkey's Defence Minister Hulusi Akar and Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) U.S. Air Force General Tod Wolters attend a NATO Defence Ministers meeting in Brussels, Belgium June 26, 2019. REUTERS/Francois Walschaerts - RC153052BAD0

Intel: US leans on Turkey despite tensions

The top US military commander in Europe told Congress today that Turkey remains a key ally despite the Donald Trump administration’s decision to boot the NATO partner from the F-35 program after it took delivery of the Russian S-400 air defense system last summer.

Syrian crisis dictates peace between Damascus and Ankara

The Russian side is said to be developing two strategies to thwart Turkey’s possible objections to cultural autonomy for Syrian Kurds.

Rabbi Israel Meir Lau Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council speaks to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the World Holocaust Forum marking 75 years since the liberation of the Nazi extermination camp Auschwitz, at Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial centre in Jerusalem January 23, 2020. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/Pool - RC2RLE9EVQ76

Has Israel struck right tone with Putin?

Vladimir Putin's visit to Israel stressed a number of important points upon the Russian leader, but whether it will affect his thinking on the Middle East remains to be seen.

Russian President Vladimir†Putin†and Russia's acting Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend the Libya summit in Berlin, Germany, January 19, 2020. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke/Pool - RC27JE9VYMOG

Russia’s 'leading from behind' strategy on Libya

Russia’s Libya policy is less about Libya and more about Europe, hence Moscow’s preference to let the Europeans take the public lead on the conflict.

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi (L) and Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebboune talk before posing for a family picture during a Peace summit on Libya at the Chancellery in Berlin, on January 19, 2020. - World leaders gather in Berlin on January 19, 2020 to make a fresh push for peace in Libya, in a desperate bid to stop the conflict-wracked nation from turning into a "second Syria". Chancellor Angela Merkel will be joined by the presidents of Russia, Turkey and France and other world leaders for ta

Algeria strives to regain prominence as world powers debate Libya's future

Despite Algeria's best efforts, nine years of conflict in neighboring Libya have essentially brought an international proxy war to Algiers' doorstep.

United Arab Emirates

An electronic screen, installed on the facade of a hotel, shows an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a quote from his annual address to the Federal Assembly in Moscow, Russia January 15, 2020. The quote reads: "I propose to provide free hot meals to all elementary school students from grades 1 to 4 ". REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina - RC2EGE9T5QMD

Will Russian government shake-up impact Moscow’s Mideast policy?

The surprise resignation of the Russian Cabinet and a possible new role for Putin when his presidential term ends in 2024 raise questions about possible changes in Russian foreign policy.