Atlantic Council Podcast: Schar School Professor Mark Katz depicts the transactional nature of Russia’s engagement with China in the Middle East.

Schar School Professor Mark Katz argues that the nations in the Middle East want more Russian and Chinese engagement in the region, in large part to enable them to play the great powers off one another. He asserts that, although Russia shares some crucial geopolitical and economic interests with Middle Eastern nations, Russia’s engagement in the region, including its relationship with China in the region, is somewhat unstable, shifting, and performative. Furthermore, the war in Ukraine has raised fears in the region about Russia’s capacity to serve as a source of stability and support over the long term.