ABSTRACT
In working to answer the question of whether Russia could be a partner for NATO in the Middle East, one must begin with a more fundamental question. As Russia moves increasingly away from democracy under Putin, it is necessary to ask whether a country that does not share basic values such as democracy with the NATO countries can be a genuine partner for the organization. I don’t plan to answer that question in this essay, only to point out that before NATO leaders plan major cooperative activities with Russia, they should keep in mind the question of the increasing lack of Russian democracy.
