Trump’s Middle East Peace Plan: Doomed to Failure

by Mitchell Plitnick The regional tour of Donald Trump’s primary Middle East envoys—his lawyer, Jason Greenblatt, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner—has concluded. So, it’s an appropriate time to take stock of the peace plan the Trump team seems to be… Continue Reading →

Can the GCC Survive the Qatar Crisis?

by Derek Davison  Last week marked the one-year anniversary of the diplomatic crisis surrounding Qatar and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). It was on June 5, 2017, that four nations—Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and… Continue Reading →

Russia and the UAE Are Now Strategic Partners: What’s Next?

by Li-Chen Sim During a working visit to Russia last week, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, concluded a Declaration of Strategic Partnership with his host, Russian President Vladimir Putin. The elevation in bilateral… Continue Reading →

Somalia and the Gulf Crisis

by International Crisis Group The bitter rivalries underpinning the crisis among members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have added a dangerous new twist to Somalia’s instability. Competition between the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on the one hand, and Qatar… Continue Reading →