[xi] FBIS SOV, October 30, 2013; Stephen Blank, “Energy and Russia’s High-Stakes Game in Iraq,” EGS Working Paper 2015-2-1, Center for Energy Governance and Security, Hanyang University, 2015. .   . ... [xxxix] Blank, “Russia’s Middle Eastern Position in 2025.” .   ...…

These current developments have made Turkey actor again on Syrian battlefield and in return, Russia is playing Kurdish with louder voice, thereby making Moscow Ankara's relations with West and enhancing Russia's leverage Iraq, Syria and Turkey. ..…

Nor is the UAE Russia’s sole regional partner. Iran and Iraq are clearly engaged deeply with Russia in Syria and over energy and arms sales.[13] Saudi Arabia’s partnership with Moscow in the energy sphere is sufficiently well known to suggest that their collusion has either..…