Rebalancing Russia’s Mediterranean strategy: From showing the flag to retreating to the gray zone
Feb 04, 2025Either maintaining Russia’s military bases in Syria or finding an alternative outpost in the Mediterranean will prove extremely difficult for Moscow. And part of the problem with pursuing the latter option, particularly if in Libya, is that it would require a full-on transformation of Russia’s military presence model — from more traditional bases designed to establish deterrence by showing the flag in the region to building up a military and logistical operation inside a security “gray zone.”
Resolving the Detainee Crisis
The Middle East Institute (MEI), in partnership with the International Center for the Study of Radicalization (ICSR) at King’s College London, is spearheading a high-level initiative aimed at resolving a major security and humanitarian crisis that resulted from the territorial defeat of ISIS in Syria in 2019. Since then, the U.S. and local Syrian partners have been holding more than 9,000 ISIS fighters in 26 makeshift prisons and 45,000 associated family members in secured camps – all representing more than 55 different nationalities.
Syria Strategy Project
The Middle East Institute, The Atlantic Council, and European Institute of Peace collaborate with subject matter experts and policymakers in the US, Europe, and the Middle East to develop a holistic strategy to sustainably forge a pathway to resolving Syria’s crisis.
#SyrianVoices
The Voices of Syria project is an undertaking by the Middle East Institute, in partnership with Syrian civil society, to better inform the general public and to guide policymakers toward a more holistic view of the situation in Syria by leveraging the voices of the unheard and their hopes and aspirations. In this series of short videos, Syrians reflect on issues of reconciliation and justice, and the plight of Syria’s women and children after years of war.
No events are currently scheduled for this program. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive notification of events as they are added to the calendar.
About the Director
Charles Lister
Lister is the author of “The Syrian Jihad: Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and the Evolution of an Insurgency” (Oxford University Press, 2016). His research focuses on terrorism and insurgency across the Levant. As a senior consultant to the Syria Track II Dialogue Initiative, he managed nearly three years of intensive face-to-face engagement with the leaderships of over 100 Syrian armed opposition groups.
Advisory Council
The Syria Program’s Advisory Council is a body of venerable individuals committed to supporting the program’s mission to provide insightful and grounded research and analysis on all things Syria, in order to better inform a wide range of audiences and to help sustain a more meaningful and impactful policy discussion.
Lubna al-Kanawati
Rime Allaf
Ryan Crocker
Michel Duclos
Ibrahim Hamidi
Fred Hof
Mariam Jalabi
Beth Jones
Rafif Jouejati
Hind Kabawat
Dima Moussa
Wejdan Nassif
Ayman Abdel Nour
Anne Patterson
Zaher Sahloul
Wael Sawah
Program Experts
Munqeth Othman Agha
Non-Resident Scholar
Ibrahim Al-Assil
Senior Fellow
Abdullah Al-Jabassini
Non-Resident Scholar
Noha Alkamcha
Non-Resident Scholar
Wa'el Alzayat
Senior Fellow
Emma Beals
Non-Resident Scholar
Dara Conduit
Non-Resident Scholar
Diana Darke
Non-Resident Scholar
Robert S. Ford
Senior Fellow
Mohammed Hassan
Non-Resident Scholar
Rafif Jouejati
Non-Resident Scholar
Charles Lister
Senior Fellow, Syria Initiative
Danny Makki
Non-Resident Scholar
Anton Mardasov
Non-Resident Scholar
Tom Rollins
Non-Resident Scholar
Gregory Waters
Non-Resident Scholar
Follow us on Twitter
Follow MEI's Syria Program and its affiliated scholars on Twitter for the latest updates and analysis on Syria and the broader region.
