By Karlis Kuskevics

Abstract: The Middle East remains reluctant to isolate Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, despite substantial pressure from the United States. This paper aims to address the following question: How has the war in Ukraine impacted Russian influence and the dynamics of great power competition in the Middle East? Expert opinions on this matter are divided. According to a recent poll, only 46 percent of Middle East scholars believe that the war in Ukraine has diminished Russian influence in the region, while 26 percent argue that it has, in fact, increased. In this paper, the author contends that despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Russia remains a significant actor in the Middle East, wielding substantial military, diplomatic, economic, and informational resources to challenge U.S. interests in this increasingly multipolar region.