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World News See other World News Articles Title: Putin's Visits to UAE, Saudi Arabia Prompted by Global 'Dynamics of Gaza War' Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday to meet with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and discuss bilateral, regional, and international affairs. As part of his brief Middle East tour, the Russian leader is also visiting Saudi Arabia, while later hosting Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Moscow. Vladimir Putin’s visit to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia could be used by the Arab countries “as a signal, perhaps to the West," to show that "we have other options and we're not really happy with your policy towards Gaza,” Abdulaziz Algashian, a Saudi political analyst, told Sputnik. The Russian President's trip to the Middle East comes amid turbulent developments in the region, with the Russian leader acutely aware of the “international dynamics of the Gaza war,” pointed out Algashian. He added that the Arab countries might seek to "leverage this visit and relations with Russia" relative to the Palestinian issue. For the Gulf States, relations with Russia are seen as an essential leverage in adapting to their changing relationship with the US,” agreed Sami Hamdi, Saudi political analyst and head of the International Interest, a risk analysis group. “There are concerns in the Gulf capitals that the US is no longer committed to their security or their interests, and there is therefore a belief that relations with Russia are essential in order to both advance their interests by pursuing alternative alliance structures and simultaneously strongarm Washington into upholding its commitment to them,” he pointed out. Looking ahead, “the extent of future cooperation with Russia as it stands remains dependent on the nature of the US-Gulf relationship. Although Gulf States will preserve their ties, the eagerness to expand those ties will correlate and fluctuate in accordance with the nature of their relationship with the US,” the Saudi political analyst speculated. On a broader scale, there are a wide swathe of reasons for why Vladimir Putin chose this moment to embark upon his first foray to the region since 2019, underscored Algashian, a research fellow with SEPAD international research network and collaborative project based at Lancaster University’s Richardson Institute. These range from the Middle East’s resentment over the West’s stance on Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza to a need for further “entrenching” of economic relations, the pundit stressed. Vladimir Putin arrived in the United Arab Emirates to meet with Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and discuss bilateral, regional, and international affairs on December 6. Earlier, the Kremlin stated that talks would cover the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip and other crises in the Middle East, including Syria, Yemen, and Sudan. The progress of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine was also expected to be on the agenda. Also on the agenda of Wednesday was Putin's visit to Saudi Arabia. Israel’s relentless retaliation for the Hamas October 7 attack has been proceeding amid an intensifying chorus of global protests over the spiraling Palestinian civilian death toll in the Gaza Strip. As Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has pounded the enclave with the stated goal of eliminating Hamas, and then expanded their ground operation there, more than 16,200 Gazans have died from Israeli attacks, according to local health officials. Amid protest against what is seen as Israel's disproportionate military response, the US launched a feeble attempt at shuttle diplomacy, but Biden administration officials blocked calls for a ceasefire in Gaza at the UN. Earlier, US President Joe Biden was snubbed by Arab leaders on his visit to the Middle East amid popular rage against his support for Israel. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas cancelled a meeting with Biden in the Jordanian capital Amman which Egypt was also set to attend. Jordanian King Abdullah II called off the summit shortly afterwards, with Democratic POTUS forced to cancel his trip to Israel's eastern neighbor. U.S. President Joe Biden, center left, pauses during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center right, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023 - Delegations from Arab countries have visited China and Russia to generate international support for ending the bloodshed in Gaza, Abdulaziz Algashian stressed. “So I think that helped instigate the confidence for Putin to go to the Middle East," the expert added. The importance of furthering economic relations between Russia and the two countries in question cannot be underestimated, he pointed out. From the economic perspective, "Opec+ is the core issue," Abdulaziz Algashian said. Besides Moscow’s bilateral relations with Dubai and Riyadh, conflict resolution in the Middle East and discussions on oil market cooperation would also top the agenda at the talks, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated earlier. Moscow cooperates with all three countries through OPEC+ — the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) plus allies led by Russia. “I think the OPEC+ relationship is key for Saudi Arabia,” said the expert, suggesting that for Riyadh, “Russia is a very important strategic partner to… not only stabilize the oil market, but to help improve it gradually because Saudi Arabia needs it very much.” Recalling how Brazilian Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira recently announced his country’s intention to join the cooperation charter of the OPEC+ oil alliance, in effect from January 2024, the pundit speculated that the oil powerhouses were “going to strategize, to see how they could move forward with the pricing of oil in the future.” Returning to the Palestine-Israel conflict, Abdulaziz Algashian anticipated that “something will come out about Gaza,” and on the diplomatic level, “Palestine is going to be a core issue.” Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting at Abu Dhabi airport. Right: UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. - Sputnik International, Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
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