RUSSIA Moscow seeks friendships in the Persian Gulf

Its main objective is to circumvent the Western sanctions imposed after the aggression against Ukraine. The synergy to keep oil prices high. For the countries of the region, “Russia also has the right to assert its zone of influence.” Europe and the United States seem resigned to this redefinition of balances.

Moscow () – Russian political scientist and orientalist Nikolaj Kožanov is a professor at the Research Center for the Persian Gulf Countries in Doha, and in dialogue with journalists from Radio Svoboda he commented on his surprise at seeing a Matreshka shop on the outskirts of town: “I couldn’t believe my eyes, a Russian grocery store around here.” News of this type is becoming more frequent in Arab countries such as the Emirates, Saudi Arabia and others – including Iran – that Russia tries to recruit as explicit or covert allies, mainly to circumvent Western sanctions.

On the streets of Doha it is increasingly common to hear Russian spoken, says Kožano. Business is growing and the exchange of delegations is intensifying – the Russian Foreign Minister, Lavrov, moves like a top around these latitudes. “It is almost impossible to find a plane ticket to travel from Moscow to Qatar for another month and a half”, all flights are full. Doha is also a stopover on the way to other destinations in the East, where exclusive resorts are opening in various countries for wealthy Russians who don’t know where to enjoy the fortunes they’ve amassed over so many years of exploitative globalization.

The shift from Russia to the East is focused above all on countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam, India and Sri Lanka, as well as China, Iran and Turkey. The Russians do not neglect African and South American countries: from South Africa to Brazil and Argentina, none of which apply sanctions against Russia, although they remain formally neutral in relation to the Ukraine conflict. Some states are more than friendly to the Kremlin, to the point of becoming de facto supporters, such as the oil states of the Persian Gulf and others related to them, such as Egypt and Sudan.

Iraq and Saudi Arabia close agreements with Moscow to manage the oil market, and in Sudan – where the Wagner company spreads – it is planned to build a large Russian maritime military base in the Red Sea. Despite government denials, Egypt plans to produce missiles for the Russian armies and, with Rosatom’s help, is building its first nuclear power plant in Ed Dabaa, not to mention Tehran’s drones, where aircraft are repaired. Aeroflot that have run out of spare parts. The UAE is now one of the main places where Russian money is deposited and laundered, as well as being the favorite destination for elite tourism.

As Kožanov comments, “the Muslim countries of the Gulf, each in their own way, not only have not distanced themselves from Orthodox Russia, but are trying to exploit the situation for their own benefit, offering help of all kinds, perhaps issuing statements of support to Ukraine, but words end up proving their uselessness”.

The Russian world extends its shadow to the heights of the skyscrapers of Doha, where the local population cannot understand the reasons for the conflict between Russians and Ukrainians. Making a comparison with the actions of the United States in the past, they consider that “Russia also has the right to assert its zone of influence”, as argued by some in conversations with Kožanov.

Attention is now focused mainly on the consequences on the world economy, and the repercussions in the Arab countries, where the effect of inflation and rising prices is still being felt. The less wealthy are concerned above all with the Ukrainian grain supply; In general, the region is not very stable and the tensions can generate or reignite other local conflicts. The issue is not primarily sympathy for one side or the other in the world conflict, much as Russia enjoys favorable sentiments in many of these countries. It is rather a matter of pragmatism: Moscow can no longer be looked at as a “big brother”, but as an equal partner. And this is what Tehran is trying to do, above all.

According to the expert, “the United States and Europe surrender to this situation”, as demonstrated by the visits of Western leaders to the region. “They are only asking that you not go too far when circumventing sanctions and that you avoid helping Russia militarily.” In everything else, they turn a blind eye. According to Kožanov, those who help Russia the most are the Emirates and Saudi Arabia, while Kuwait and Qatar lean more towards the West and support Ukraine, but “in this part of the world, all the balances are in a redefinition phase.”