Maxim Suchkov is senior fellow and associate professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO-University). He is also a non-resident expert at the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and an associate research fellow at the Italian Institute of International Political Studies (ISPI).
A former editor of Al-Monitor’s Russia-Mideast coverage, Max is a prolific writer and author of several studies, book chapters, and articles on Russian foreign policy and strategy, as well as Moscow’s relations with the US, Turkey, Iran and Israel. His analysis and commentary have also appeared in the Survival, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the American Interest, Foreign Policy, and the National Interest.
Earlier, Suchkov was a visiting professor at the IE University (2020), a visiting fellow at New York University (2015) and Fulbright visiting researcher at Georgetown University (2010-11). He is based in Moscow.
Weeks before the official U.S. military withdrawal, Afghanistan is unraveling rapidly as the Taliban continue their swift military advance. They now control more than two-thirds of the country and half of the provincial capitals. With the government’s hold on Kabul in doubt, the Biden administration has dispatched troops to evacuate U.S. citizens from the country. We asked experts and scholars from across MEI to weigh in with their thoughts on the situation and what it means for the country, the wider region, and key international players.
Russia’s “troubleshooting tactics” with the Taliban
As U.S. forces continue to draw down from Afghanistan, the Taliban are rapidly filling the void by occupying large new swaths of territory and key military infrastructure. Last week the movement announced it controlled up to 85% of the country. With hundreds of Afghans, including members of the military, crossing the border to the neighboring former Soviet republics of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, speculation over the potential destabilization of Central Asia is mounting. Many regional governments are looking to Moscow for support and defense.
Election 2020: The Future of U.S.-Black Sea Relations
In Frontier Europe Initiative’s new briefing book, entitled Election 2020: The Future of Black Sea-U.S. Relations, MEI scholars and external contributors identify key issues across the region, highlight U.S. interests at stake, and provide policy insights and recommendations for the path forward. The pieces in this book serve as a contribution to the broader discussion about the challenges and opportunities for U.S. policy in the region
“Diplomacy of attrition”: How will the Russia-Turkey stand-off in Nagorno-Karabakh play out?
Over the past few years, both Russia and Turkey have played key roles in the world’s hottest conflict zones. Usually on opposite sides and often on the verge of a direct confrontation, Moscow and Ankara have demonstrated a knack for brinkmanship and crisis management through diplomacy. While both sides have suffered casualties, they pulled back before any fight got too big. On Sept. 27 the latest in a series of conflicts emerged when fighting broke out again between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. With Turkey and Russia on opposite sides once more, the flare-up in the South Caucasus will be a major test of whether their relationship will bend or break.
Monday Briefing: Will Russia and Turkey face off over Nagorno-Karabakh?
This week’s briefing on recent news and upcoming events in the region featuring Maxim A. Suchkov, Ibrahim Jalal, Eliza Campbell, Alex Vatanka, and Marvin G. Weinbaum.
Why is Russia seeking to expand its military bases in Syria?
While Russia is currently struggling with the consequences of COVID-19 at home, its foreign policy projections suggest it is also bracing itself for the post-pandemic world.
The last few days have seen an unprecedented flurry of Russian activity on the Israeli-Palestinian track. On May 19, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister and Vladimir Putin’s Special Envoy for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov spoke on the phone with Assistant to the U.S. President and Special Representative for International Negotiations Avi Berkowitz.
Saying that Moscow is having a change of heart at this very moment, let alone is willing to publicly broadcast this to Damascus, may be a bit premature.
