Russia uses Middle Eastern ties to mitigate isolation
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Significance
Syria has been Russia's central 'project' in the Middle East for more than a decade, but Moscow uses diplomatic and trade connections with many other regional states to sidestep its international isolation. They are mostly ambivalent about Russia's war in Ukraine but reluctant to make a definitive choice between Moscow and Western powers.
Impacts
- Western efforts to isolate Russia will be hampered by Russia's Middle Eastern connections.
- US relations with Middle Eastern allies will be complicated by the mismatch in their views of the Ukraine war.
- Russian tourism and wheat supplies are central to economic ties with Egypt.