For more than a decade, the United States has been reaching out to the Muslim world, courting Islamic moderates even as it wages war with religious extremists.

Georgia and Azerbaijan can deny Moscow access to the Caspian Sea and Central Asia. But they need U.S. support.

Stepping up America’s direct role in advancing a resolution to the simmering conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region between Armenia and Azerbaijan is an essential step to serve not only American interests, but to put Vladimir Putin on the defensive. 

Turkey might seem like a confident rising power, but its
leaders fear being abandoned by the West as much as ever.