Valdai Club

Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, Middle Eastern countries have increasingly figured into the international agenda as mediators in the dialogue between the West and Russia. Not only do they actively participate in humanitarian initiatives, such as prisoner exchanges, but they also influence key aspects of the negotiation process. Against this background, Riyadh stands out in particular, having become the venue for the first round of high-level talks between Russia and the United States in three years, which took place on February 18, 2025.

The Middle East is entering a new era, and its previous foundations, political and social, are already irrevocably gone. A crisis in Iran could set off a chain reaction that will lead to a revision of borders, changes in political regimes, and an intensification of the struggle for resources and influence, Murad Sadygzade writes.

BRICS membership would significantly increase Turkey’s international authority and prestige. The country would be able to actively participate in the development of global economic and political strategies, offering its ideas and formulas for solving global problems, write Igbal Adil Oglu Guliyev and Murad Sadygzade.

In the near future we can expect the normalisation of relations between Turkey and Syria, since this is beneficial and necessary for both parties, writes Murad Sadygzade, President of the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, Head of the Centre for Education and Cooperation of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. This process will enter an active phase, probably after the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Turkey. Moscow is demonstrating pragmatism and a desire to build a mutually beneficial dialogue that takes into account the national interests of all parties, which distinguishes its approach from that of Washington, which puts its interests above all else.

The possibility of introducing an “oil embargo” has been eliminated due to its unprofitability and ineffectiveness. The current escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict demonstrates the lack of unity among Arab and Islamic countries on the issue of pressure on Israel and its Western allies. This is due to a number of reasons.