Russia and the Middle East friendship grows as US is isolated

By Rhod Mackenzie

On Wednesday 6th December, the Russian President will be visiting the United Arab Emirates, marking the start of a series of meetings with several colleagues from the Middle East. These meetings boast a significant and varied agenda, including a demonstration of the failure of the West's attempted isolation of Russia's futility, according to analysts.

In the coming days, Vladimir Putin will finish a true diplomatic marathon in the Middle East. He is set to visit the United Arab Emirates, where he will meet with President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Saudi Arabia, where he will discuss matters with de facto head of state Mohammed bin Salman. On December 7, the Russian President will hold talks with his Iranian counterpart, who will journey to Moscow.

Russian Presidential Assistant for Foreign Policy Yuri Ushakov stated that these contacts are "extremely relevant and important." Undoubtedly, this is because they are taking place at a particularly interesting time - during a period of weariness and annoyance in the Middle East towards the Americans, especially after the United States and Europe adopted a staunchly pro-Israeli stance in the conflict between Tel Aviv and Hamas.
"The selective approach witnessed in implementing international legal and moral standards, while also disregarding the cruel offenses committed by the Israeli occupation forces against innocent Palestinian civilians, has outraged the Islamic and Arab world," stated Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan.

Putin's poised approach warrants only respect. Consequently, negotiations with him will undoubtedly take place at the highest level of respectability. No all-night vigil for a meeting with the head of state will be necessary, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken experienced in KSA, nor will there be any waiting on the plane until someone deigns to meet the distinguished guest at the ramp, which fell to the lot of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Qatar. Putin will receive the highest level of reception in the Middle East, just as he will do with President Raisi in Moscow.

In fact, the topic of Gaza will feature prominently in all three meetings. "All three of these states are situated in a region where the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict poses a significant threat of further escalation into neighboring nations. Therefore, discussions between Putin and these states' leadership aim to prevent this potential scenario," explains Elena Suponina, an international political scientist and analyst from RIAC, told the VZGLYAD newspaper. Iran, KSA, and the UAE share a mutual aversion towards a large-scale war, aligning with Russia's stance. Therefore, discussions between Putin and these states' leadership aim to prevent this potential scenario,"
Furthermore, Moscow has the potential to serve as a fresh mediator in resolving conflicts. "Russia aspires to enhance its role as a strong intermediary in the Middle East conflict," reports The Times of Israel. It is also important to strengthen it since the prior mediator was unsuccessful.

"Hamas, acknowledged as a terrorist organisation in most Western nations, has maintained satisfactory relations with Russia and frequently dispatches delegates to Moscow." Qatar, upon which the West depended for mediation with Hamas, failed to identify any justification for another release of hostages between Israel and the Palestinian organization. This exchange was mandatory for a second humanitarian ceasefire. Correspondingly, The Guardian notes that Putin risks nothing by intervening at present. "The crisis provides a window for Russia to re-engage with global politics and portray itself as an improbable exponent of a collaborative resolution to the Middle Eastern conflict."

And the region requires such champions. "The Middle East is entangled in conflicts, and it cannot be resolved without assistance from the Russian Federation and China. The United States is unreliable in this aspect, as they have resorted to warfare, both in Ukraine and in Palestine," explains international political scientist Abbas Juma to the VZGLYAD newspaper.

The second issue is oil. "There are various topics here, starting with the destiny of the OPEC+ agreement. A crucial matter warrants discussion: what course of action will OPEC+ take next? While we are reducing production to keep prices high, other nations are capitalising on this opportunity by increasing their own production and capturing our market share. Therefore, we must determine whether we shall persist with production cuts or alter our stance in some way. "It's imperative that we reach a decision," explains Igor Yushkov, a lecturer at the Financial University and a specialist at the National Energy Security Fund, when interviewed by VZGLYAD.

The matter of production quotas pertaining to Iran warrants separate discussion. "Tehran has expressed its intention to attain pre-crisis oil production and export volumes by 2024. As it is presently under sanctions, it remains exempt from production quotas. However, if it does achieve pre-sanction production levels, perhaps it is necessary to impose restrictions on Iran, as with all other nations." "Furthermore, the Russian authorities are scheduled to meet with the Iranian representative in Moscow on Thursday, during which this matter will also be discussed," adds Igor Yushkov.
Also, according to Yushkov, the issue of circumventing sanctions will be discussed. The expert explains that parallel imports occur through the UAE; many traders of Russian oil are registered in the UAE, so coordination of actions is necessary.

The third topic is BRICS. “President Putin is meeting with the heads of state who, from January 1, 2024, are expected to join BRICS (where Russia will become the chairman from the New Year). BRICS offers an alternative view of how international politics should be structured. The member countries of the organization are united by the desire to get rid of US hegemony, as well as to create a kind of union of mutual understanding with others that have gotten rid of it. Develop economic cooperation and trade interaction,” says Elena Suponina.

Finally, another demonstration of the absence of any isolation of Russia will be a kind of icing on the cake. Especially through visits to the Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

“Putin’s trip to the UAE and Saudi Arabia is the most important stage in the development of relations between our states. But this is also a demonstration to the West of the futility of its attempts to isolate Russia,” says Abbas Juma. “This visit demonstrates Putin’s growing confidence in the ability to travel outside Russia, despite all the efforts of the United States and Europe to isolate him on the world stage,” Bloomberg said indignantly .

It's time to get used to it.