Moscow’s close relationship with Iran, a Hamas ally, and its pro-Palestinian stance signal a shift in Russia’s Middle East policy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been criticized for delaying his response to the resistance’s operation on October 7th, blaming the US for the failed policy in the Middle East.
“I think that many will agree with me that this is a clear example of the failed policy in the Middle East of the United States, which tried to monopolize the settlement process,” Putin told Iraq’s prime minister.
According to Reuters, Western observers believe that Putin is using the war on Gaza to escalate tensions with the West and promote a new world order, challenging US dominance.
“In doing all of this, Russia understands very well that it aligns itself with constituencies across the Middle East and even beyond – in the Global South, in their views on the Palestinian issue where the Palestinian cause continues to resonate,” Hanna Notte, a Berlin-based Russian foreign policy expert, told the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.
“The most important way in which Russia stands to benefit from this crisis in Gaza is by scoring points in the court of global public opinion,” Notte added.
Source: AlMayadeen
