The US disengagement from the Middle East has created a vacuum many powers are attempting to fill. One of them might be the EU. The attack on Ukraine by Russia and the sanctions that followed have renewed interest in Middle Eastern energy. As Europe seeks to reduce its reliance on Russian natural gas and oil, countries such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been pressed to fill the void. However, the Middle East is undergoing its own transformations, with some Arab countries attempting to normalize relations with Israel. Could the EU, alongside the US, China, Russia, and Iran, play a bigger role in a multipolar Middle East?

Guests:

Cinzia Bianco

Research Fellow at ECFR

Ali Fathollah-Nejad

Associate Fellow at the American University of Beirut