PodcastAsia-Pacific

How Russia’s Muslims Influence Putin’s Foreign Policy

How Russia’s Muslims Influence Putin’s Foreign Policy
Muslims pray outside the newly restored Moscow Cathedral Mosque during celebrations of Eid al-Adha, Moscow, Russia, Sept. 24, 2015 (AP photo by Pavel Golovkin).

In this week’s Trend Lines podcast, WPR’s editor-in-chief, Judah Grunstein, and host Peter Dörrie discuss the elections in Iran, South Korea’s missile defense program and the Colombian government’s peace talks with the FARC. For the report, Robert Crews, the director of the Sohaib and Sara Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies at Stanford University, joins us to explain how Russia’s Muslim population fits into President Vladimir Putin’s domestic and foreign policy agenda.

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Relevant articles on WPR:

Iran’s Election Results Show Pendulum Swinging Away From Hard-Liners

North Korea’s Provocations Revive U.S. Missile Shield in South Korea
Santos Stumbles in Homestretch of Colombia-FARC Peace Talks
A Patriotic Islam? Russia’s Muslims Under Putin

Trend Lines is produced, edited and hosted by Peter Dörrie, a freelance journalist and analyst focusing on security and resource politics in Africa. He can be followed on Twitter at @peterdoerrie.

Additional audio credits:

Euronews: Putin warns foreign rivals not to use Islam to weaken Russia
BBC: Russia: Islamic State, not Assad, the danger in Syria
France24: Vladimir Putin inaugurates Moscow mosque with Turkish, Palestinian leaders Erdogan and Abbas