FP: The US' Middle Eastern allies want Russia at the table
3 Min Read
Moscow holds a global importance that the world could not ignore.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G-20 Leaders' Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina on November 30, 2018. (AFP)
An article written in Foreign Policy claims that Russia is militarily weak, contrasting the revelation with the fact that although many countries do not seek military assistance and security from Russia (as opposed to its American counterpart), they do want Russia at the table - that includes countries in the Middle East.
The world today is heading towards an increasingly multipolar system - a polarized mechanism that has exhibited itself ever-so-clearly, particularly after the beginning of Russia's war in Ukraine against NATO. In light of Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia and occupied Palestine, Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to meet his Turkish and Iranian counterparts in Tehran.
Within this context, although Russia and Turkey have been bumping heads in Syria (recalling the Tehran meeting over the Astana peace process), they have common interests regarding countering US and NATO influence in Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Read more: Biden to Arab leaders: US won't 'let go' of Middle East
When it comes to the Middle East in particular, few regional countries want to make a choice between Washington and Moscow, or even Beijing. Although US allies have taken security guarantees aplenty, and lots of weaponry, the US have created anything but regional stability. Because of this, Gulf countries are not so willing to compromise their relationship with Russia - most recently, Saudi Arabia could be taken as an example.
One of the objectives on Biden's list in his visit was to get Riyadh to pump more oil - however, that did not work; Saudi de facto Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stressed that additional oil output by Riyadh depends on market conditions and agreement by OPEC+, with Russia being the most important out of all the "Plus" members.
The article remarks, "Mohammed bin Salman will continue to play hard to get while seeking more U.S. concessions, particularly in the way of arms and economic deals." Riyadh has lost confidence that Washington has contributed to security in the region, with MBS bringing up the US' failed 2003 invasion of Iraq and the failed 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Read next: MBS warns US could have only NATO countries left to cooperate with
Another example articulated was Egypt, where President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi also refused to isolate Russia, with Moscow being Cairo's largest supplier of weapons between 2017 and 2021.
Russia and Egypt, alongside the United Arab Emirates, collaborated in Libya with General Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army.
Although not many are requesting Russian military assistance, its vital importance as a global energy distributor and an economic power cannot be neglected nor dismissed.
