A Pax Russica in West Asia? Putin will have to do more to make it stick

Russia has managed to regain its role as a powerful interlocutor

Can Russia succeed where the West has failed, stabilising the Middle East and North Africa through some kind of Pax Russica?

The question might have sounded strange not so long ago, but in less than two years, a mix of decisive action, unwavering and often ruthless use of military power, and bold political-diplomatic manoeuvring have given Moscow new prominence on the global stage.

Russia has managed to regain, at least in part, its role as a powerful interlocutor, which it lost after the fall of the Soviet Union.

In the process, it has fostered relationships with key