Yury Barmin

Following the fallout between Russia and the West, Moscow embarked on a strategy to make its energy industry a foreign policy tool. In this context, it engaged Turkey in an effort to assert itself in the European market and solidify control over it. Looking to implement its pivot to the East, Russia has also sought to become a major energy producer in Asia by squeezing competitors out of the region. The Middle East came into the spotlight for Moscow when it decided to hedge its bets in the energy sector and gain more control over global markets. To that end, Russia pursued mutually beneficial cooperation with the GCC states to make the market more predictable. Russia has also come forward as a major energy supplier for former Soviet clients in the Middle East.