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. Turkey
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran says US strikes render April ceasefire ‘meaningless’ Fresh US strikes and Iranian retaliation deepen regional tensions, while Washington tightens sanctions, France pushes for a larger role in Lebanon, and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
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. Syria
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 Founder, Wings of Unity Party
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Oil eases as Trump pauses Iran strikes By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Is Turkey trying to disrupt Raqqa operation? In the lead-up to President Erdogan's Washington visit next month, Turkey's recent air attacks in Syria and Iraq might be a message that Turkey intends to play a more involved role in those countries. Iraq
Can Erdogan juggle Trump and Putin at the same time? Erdogan’s expectations from the United States and Russia are high, but his hopes may be misplaced again. Syria
Syrian regime faces tough resistance from rebels in Aleppo’s outskirts The Syrian regime forces are attempting to gain ground in Aleppo’s outskirts to fend off any threat the opposition could pose on Aleppo city. Syria
Russia, Turkey to talk tariffs It looks like Ankara’s retaliatory tariffs on Russian wheat will bring the two parties together in another attempt to compromise on sanctions and import taxes. Turkey
Russia steps up its game in Mideast diplomacy The heavy traffic between Moscow and the Middle East after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited Russia last week signals that Russia is looking to quickly solidify its relationships with regional partners. Saudi Arabia
Mattis' Mideast trip holds promise, reality check for Israel The US defense secretary's visit to Israel is expected to strengthen an already solid relationship while making sure both parties are on the same page. Egypt
Where is Israel's place in US-Russia struggle? Israel has a golden opportunity to cement a global anti-jihad alliance with the United States and pragmatic Sunni states as Russia continues to side with Iran. Palestine
3 reasons why partitioning Libya is a bad idea While the Trump administration so far has failed to present a well-defined policy on Libya, the administration seems to be sending mixed signals. Libya
Assad’s departure still non-starter for Putin US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s comment on "orderly" transition could offer a face-saving spark for Syria political talks; Hezbollah’s No. 2 disavows "ambitions" in Syria; did Iran benefit from US missile strike? Sistani seeks restraints on Iraqi armed groups looking to fight in Syria. Iraq
What did Tillerson’s Russia trip achieve? US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t reach any groundbreaking pacts during Tillerson's visit to Moscow, but they agreed to keep trying. Syria
Tillerson: Russia has 'best means' to convince Assad to go On his first trip to Russia as secretary of state, Rex Tillerson met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow to discuss steps to try to reverse the decline in relations between the United States and Russia. Syria
Will US missile strike shift Iran-Russia partnership in Syria? The US military strike on a Syrian air base has created room at the table for more Russian and Iranian cooperation in Syria as the last allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad standing. Syria
