Power Vertical Podcast Ep. 54

It opened a turbulent new chapter in the already turbulent Middle East. It brought the United States and Iran to the brink of armed conflict.

But last week’s targeted killing of Iran’s Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani by the United States could also change the dynamic between Russia and the West—presenting the Kremlin with both risks and opportunities.

What are those opportunities? What are the risks? And what happens next?

Listen as Brian Whitmore explores the latest from Moscow with Donald N. Jensen and special guest Jeff Mankoff, senior fellow and deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and author of the forthcoming book, “Empires of Eurasia: How Imperial Legacies Shape International Security.”

Audio Clip 1: “Press statements following talks with President of Iran Hassan Rouhani” via the Kremlin under CC BY 4.0. 

Audio Clip 2: “Press Briefing with Secretary Pompeo and Secretary Treasury Mnuchi” via the United States Department of State. Audio Clip 3: “Prime Minister Trudeau updates Canadians on the fatal plane crash in Iran” via Prime Minister of Canada. 

Photo: “Meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani” via the Kremlin under CC BY 4.0.  

WP Post Author

Brian Whitmore

Brian Whitmore is Director of the Russia Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis. Before joining CEPA he was Senior Russia Analyst at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. He also worked as a foreign correspondent for The Boston Globe in Moscow and Prague; as a graduate instructor in the Department of Government and International Studies at the University of South Carolina; and as a visiting lecturer in the History Faculty at Mechnikov National University in Odessa, Ukraine and the International Relations Faculty at St. Petersburg State University.

See author's posts

January 10, 2020

The Power Vertical is a CEPA podcast covering the Kremlin for Kremlin watchers. All opinions are those of the guests and do not necessarily represent the position or views of the institutions they represent or the Center for European Policy Analysis.