Russian influence

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, on May 22, 2026.

Turkey’s Fidan heads to Moscow as S-400 sanctions issue returns to fore

The visit comes weeks before Turkey hosts NATO leaders, on the sidelines of which Ankara hopes to reach a deal with Washington over CAATSA sanctions over its purchase of Russian S-400s.

AAREF WATAD/AFP via Getty Images

Russia in talks on 'reformatting' its military sites in Syria: What to know

Moscow signals it wants to maintain its presence in Syria, where President Ahmed al-Sharaa recently said that Russian bases will be converted into training centers.

Tatoyan

Interview

Armenia candidate Tatoyan eyes Pashinyan's pro-West mantle in sea of Russia-backed rivals

In an interview from Yerevan, Armenian opposition candidate Arman Tatoyan denies pro-Russian ties and says he would deepen cooperation with the European Union and the United States while pursuing a gradual approach to relations with Moscow.

Arman Tatoyan

Arman Tatoyan

Founder, Wings of Unity Party

US President Donald Trump (L) welcomes Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC, on Aug. 8, 2025.

Feature

Backed by Trump and Turkey, Armenia's Pashinyan eyes third term in pivotal poll

As Russia and the West vie for influence, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan appears on track to secure a new mandate for his peace agenda with Azerbaijan and rapprochement with Turkey.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Latest News

US extends Russian oil sanctions waiver as Iran war squeezes supply

A tugboat guides the Russian oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin as it arrives at the oil terminal in the port of Matanzas, northwestern Cuba, on March 31, 2026.

Trump speaks with Netanyahu, Putin as Iran pressure campaign escalates

President Donald Trump gives a speech during the State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn on April 28, 2026, in Washington.

Iran FM meets Putin, Russia’s military intel chief as talks stall: What to know

Iran FM meets Putin and Russia’s military intel chief as talks stall: What to know

China, Russia veto scaled-back Hormuz resolution at UN Security Council

The Foreign Minister chaired the Security Council session on cooperation between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the United Nations.

Biden and Erdogan in 2014

Meeting with Biden looms as critical test for Erdogan

Turkey’s relationship with the United States poses the toughest test for Erdogan in the coming period, bound to sway both his foreign policy and political alliances at home.

This picture taken on March 1, 2021, shows a view of the Russian Navy frigate RFS Admiral Grigorovich (494), anchored in Port Sudan.

Sudan puts Russia naval base deal under review

A top military officer denied the review was connected to increased ties with the United States.

Russia / Mideast

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a joint press conference with Serbian President (unseen) after their bilateral meeting at the Nato Alliance's headquarters in Brussels on May 17, 2021.

Turkey’s persistent watering down of anti-Russian language leaves NATO in bind

Ankara defends its position on Moscow on the grounds that it has to manage its relationship with its powerful northeastern neighbor.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) welcomes Poland's President Andrzej Duda (R) ahead of their meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, on May 24, 2021.

With ties with West strained, Turkey gets lifeline from Poland

Drawing on his rapport with the Polish president and a landmark drone deal with Warsaw, Erdogan seems to be aiming at two goals — strengthening his hand in NATO and having a close ally within the European Union.

Blinken in Cairo

The Takeaway: US ties with Egypt loom large again

Picking up the pieces in Gaza; the uneasy, uncertain peace between Israel and Hamas; PLO and Hamas still can’t find common ground; Russia on the diplomatic sidelines; desert kingdom looks to build forest; and more!

YURI KADOBNOV/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey fails to convince Russia to lift flight ban

Despite the efforts of Turkey's top-level delegation to Russia to get flights resumed between the two countries, Moscow has extended the ban.

MAXIME POPOV/AFP via Getty Images

Russia to build floating dock off Syrian coast

Russia's repair shop in Tartus is working to build a floating dock, greatly expanding the capabilities of the military base.

Government of National Accord troops

UN Security Council discusses concerns over spread of Libya's foreign fighters

The killing of Chad's leader has ignited fears over the potential spread of violent mercenaries outside of Libya.

Anrtony Blinken

Blinken cautions Turkey against future S-400 purchases

Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said that President Joe Biden's recent recognition of the Armenian genocide should not have come as a surprise.

Staff of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission display electoral lists ahead of the upcoming general elections, at the commission's local offices in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, on April 6, 2021.

The Takeaway: Does Hamas win if Abbas delays Palestinian elections?

Plus: Fallout in Turkey from Biden’s designation of genocide in Armenia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) speaks to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) as they attend a press conference on Oct. 10, 2016, in Istanbul. Putin visited Turkey for talks pushing forward ambitious joint energy projects as the two sides try to overcome a crisis in ties.

Turkish-Russian ties marked more by rivalry than cooperation today

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan believed Russia would provide him leverage against the United States and Europe after Turkey’s ties with the West took a nosedive.

In this handout provided by the EU Delegation in Vienna, Representatives of the European Union, Iran and others attend the Iran nuclear talks at the Grand Hotel on April 15, 2021, in Vienna, Austria. Representatives from the United States, Iran, the European Union, Russia, China and other participants from the original Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) are meeting directly and indirectly over possibly reviving the plan.

The Takeaway: Two tracks lead to Tehran: one through Vienna, another through Baghdad

Plus: Egypt’s train wrecks; new Nile Dam tensions; Turkey’s trafficking scandal; Iraq’s tribal vote; more!