Steve Rosenberg
Russian Editor
Report from Petersburgafp via Getty Images
Moscow is discussing a partnership with Iran, but the deal does not require Russia to come to Iran’s military aid
When Israel launched Operation Ryzinglion, Russian officials described the current escalation in the Middle East as “distrust” and “dangerous.”
Still, the Russian media quickly highlighted Moscow’s potential positivity.
among them:
The rise in global oil prices, which is expected to boost Russian funding, is a global distraction away from Russia’s Ukrainian war. “Kiev Is Forgotten” could portray Russia’s status as a key player in the Middle East and as a peace manager, despite his actions in Ukraine, if Moskovsky Komsomoletz and the Kremlin’s offer to mediate in the conflict were accepted.
However, the longer Israeli military operations become, the more perceived that Russia will often lose more from current events.
“The escalation of conflict has serious risks and potential costs in Moscow,” wrote Andrei Kortnov, a Russian political scientist in business on Monday.
“The fact remains that Russia could not prevent a massive Israeli strike in a country five months ago. [Russia] We have signed a comprehensive strategic partnership.
“Obviously, Moscow is not ready to go beyond a political statement denounces Israel. It is not ready to provide military aid to Iran.”
The Russian-Iran strategic partnership agreement signed earlier this year by President Vladimir Putin and President Masuud Pezeshkian is not a military alliance.
Moscow is not required to come to defend Tehran.
But at the time Moscow spoke about it.
In an interview with the Ria Novosti communications agency, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the agreement “has paid special attention to strengthening coordination for regional and global peace and security, and has paid special attention to Moscow and Tehran’s desire for close cooperation on security and defense.”
Reuters
Russia relies heavily on Iranian Shahed drones in the war in Ukraine, but is now manufactured locally.
For the past six months, Moscow has already lost one important ally in the Middle East, Bashar Al-Assad.
He was offered asylum in Russia after the Syrian leader was discharged from hospital last December. The prospect of an Iranian regime change, the idea of losing another strategic partner in the region, will be of great concern for Moscow.
Commenting on Tuesday’s development in the Middle East, Moskovsky Komsomolet concluded: “Currently, global politics involves massive changes in real time that directly or indirectly affect the lives of our nation.”
Vladimir Putin will spend much of this week in St. Petersburg. There, the city holds its annual International Economic Forum.
The event was once called “Russian Davos”, but the label doesn’t really apply.
In recent years, particularly since the full-scale invasion of Russia’s Ukraine, the chief executives of large corporations have been separated.
Nevertheless, organizers claim that more than 140 national and regional representatives will be present this year.
Russian authorities almost certainly use the event to demonstrate that attempts to isolate Russia in the war in Ukraine have failed.
Economic Forums may be, but geopolitics is never far away.
We’ll take a close look at the comments of Kremlin leaders on the Middle East and Ukraine.
