Putin looks to strengthen ties with Iran and Turkey at summit in Tehran
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is set to travel to Tehran on Tuesday, where he will meet with the leaders of Iran and Turkey to discuss Syria. Much is at stake in Putin’s meeting with Turkey’s Erdogan, with the two leaders set to discuss a range of issues, including Turkish threats to launch a new military incursion in Syria. Putin is also looking to strengthen Russia’s relationship with Iran. Putin’s trip comes just days after President Biden’s own tour of the Middle East, where he sought to rally Israel and Arab countries to counter Russia, China and Iran. Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a Turkey expert, joins me to break down what’s at stake at this summit in Tehran, and place Putin’s trip to Iran within the broader context of President Biden’s recent visit to the Middle East.
You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:
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