Averre's monograph is one of the few books I consider to be essential for understanding the complexity of Russia's relationship with the Middle East. Mark N. Katz, Professor Emeritus, George Mason University
Averres important work shows how Russias complex, multi-faceted strategy in the Middle East and North Africa is often misunderstood by Western commentators. The book is essential reading for getting Russia right.' James Nixey, Former Director, Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House
'The importance of understanding Russias transformational involvement in the MENA region, which is marked by proxy conflicts, shifting alliances and normative struggles over sovereignty, cannot be overestimated. Derek Averres new book offers a persuasive account of the security interests as well as the regional and domestic dynamics that shaped Russias MENA policy, from its response to the Arab Spring to its relations with a network of regional, external and non-state actors... As a result, the book offers a comprehensive account of Russian decision-making and a far more layered account than those centred on material capabilities, international norms or authoritarian opportunism alone.' Kalina Zhekova, International Affairs
'The author demonstrates the fragility of often dominant perspectives, such as the view that Russian strategy is solely driven by a desire to restore its international status to Soviet-era levels. Averre shows how such simplistic interpretations fail to capture the broader spectrum of internal and external, structural and contingent, factors that influence and define the Russian approach.' Nicolò Murgia, The International Spectator
CHOICE Recommended: Graduate students and faculty. 'Russian Strategy in the Middle East and North Africa is a valuable contribution to the literature on Russias foreign policy... Averre (Univ. of Birmingham, England) forgoes analyzing Russian actions through a single foreign policy lens, instead using an eclectic, analytical approach to explain Russian foreign policy in the region since 2011. The study employs four explanatory factors: structural power, the Russian elite's conceptions of international norms, domestic politics, and Vladimir Putins agency. The result is a rich and detailed account of the motivations of Russian action... With recent developments in Syria, the book is crucial for understanding how unfolding events may affect Russias interests in the region.' --J. R. Clardie, Northwest Nazarene University -- .
