Putin’s Stalin Phase

Isolated, Paranoid, and Ever More Like the Soviet Dictator

The harsher and more repressive the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin becomes, the more successful the reign of Joseph Stalin appears to ordinary Russians. In the five years leading up to 2021, the number of Russians who agreed that “Stalin was a great leader” doubled from 28 to 56 percent, according to polls carried out by the independent Levada Center; over the same period, the number of those who disagreed with that statement fell from 23 to 14 percent. Since 2015, Stalin has been lionized on national holidays, and discussion of his repression has largely been stifled. Such is the interest in the Soviet dictator that it sometimes seems as if he is competing with Putin. More likely, however, he is simply serving as a helping hand from the distant past, reassuring his modern-day acolyte that he is on the right path.

Iranian Drones Are Changing The Battlefields Of Eurasia – Analysis

On October 10, Iranian loitering munitions rained over Ukraine’s urban centers, including Kiev. Two weeks later, Israeli forces struck an Iranian drone factory in Syria (Al Arabiya, October 23). This demonstrated how Iran’s drone program is now beyond Iran, both in terms of production and operational impact. Iran has become a drone-exporting nation and Iranian drones are creating new flashpoints in different geopolitical axes.

Ukrainian drone attack could be precursor to new maritime fight in war with Russia

Ukraine’s recent attack in Crimea on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in port reveals glimpses of how the war with Moscow could develop if Kyiv makes a concerted push to retake the peninsula, naval analysts said.

The early morning drone offensive Oct. 29 also provides lessons for the U.S. Navy and its allies as they build future strategies for bases and shipyards, where billion-dollar assets will need protection from such attacks.

Comrades-in-Sanctions: Can Iran Help Russia Weather the Economic Storm?

The potential for cooperation in certain areas, like military technology, may look promising. But Iran cannot be counted upon to really help the Russian economy withstand the impact of sanctions.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, relations between Russia and Iran have flourished. Having been hit by a new raft of tough Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow set about looking for alternative partners among other traditionally anti-Western countries—including to bypass trade restrictions—and Iran looks set to be one of the most promising.

Libya derails Egypt-Turkey rapprochement

Egypt-Turkey talks to normalize their relations were halted in the wake of Ankara’s recent oil deal with Libya’s Tripoli-based government.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Oct. 29 that talks with Turkey to heal their yearslong political rift have come to a halt over Turkish policies in neighboring Libya.

By, With and Through Partner Special Forces in the Middle East

No U.S. military campaign in the Middle East has demonstrated the importance and benefits of working with partner Special Forces more than the fight against ISIS. Operating alongside local forces in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere, the U.S.-led coalition was able to destroy the caliphate and severely degrade the capabilities of ISIS. Should the future of U.S. security cooperation in the Middle East be focused on building the counterterrorism and counterinsurgency capabilities of indigenous Special Forces? What are the challenges and opportunities of this approach to U.S. security cooperation in the region? What lessons can be learned from the anti-ISIS fight? Our three speakers, who have in-depth expertise on and direct experience in this subject, will help us address these issues and many more.