The Robert Strauss Center welcomes Peter Clement, Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University, for a talk on Russia in the Middle East. The event is part of the Strauss Center's Brumley Speaker Series, and is free and open to the public.

There are a diverse set of goals underlying Moscow's policy calculus about the Middle East, quite apart from protecting its significant geopolitical stake in Syria: expanding arms sales to an increasingly diverse set of customers; protecting its equities in the energy field—to include the sale of nuclear reactor markets in the region; and of course, managing important bilateral relationships with Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Saudi Arabia (all stakeholders in the horrific Syrian civil war)--and other key players, such as Egypt. These relationships are key to Moscow’s overarching goal—to be a key outside actor whose interests must be considered in the resolution of any major Middle East issue.