ABSTRACT
After the fall of Nikita Khrushchev, there was no change in Soviet policies in the Middle East region. Cooperation with Egypt remained the cornerstone of Soviet Middle Eastern policy. In October 1964 Nasser received assurances from the new Soviet leadership that their policy towards Egypt would not change and that it would accord with the spirit of peaceful coexistence: high-level delegations were then exchanged. On the eve of the 1967 war the Soviet leaders were convinced that during the 11 years since the 1956 war, and thanks to their assistance, the Egyptian and Syrian armies had been sufficiently well-equipped for any eventual conflict. Immediately after World War II the strategic threat to the USSR from the south came from the presence of American and British military bases in the region. The decision to start a war against Israel was taken by Sadat and Asad in summer 1973.
