Putin’s Visit to Saudi Arabia and UAE: Oil, Gaza, and Geopolitics

On Wednesday evening, Putin landed in the country’s capital Riyadh.

Prior to this, the Russian presidential plane, escorted by four Russian fighter jets, had visited the United Arab Emirates.

According to Reuters, Putin and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, talked about oil, the situation in the Gaza Strip and the war in Ukraine.

– The next meeting between us should be in Moscow, Putin said after meeting the crown prince. The Russian president also praised the good relations between the two oil-producing countries.

And precisely a strengthening of relations with oil-rich countries in the Middle East may be part of the background for Putin’s courtship, believes NUPI researcher and Russia expert Jakub Godzimirski.

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– These countries have some common interests, but at the same time there is a lot going on in the Middle East at the moment – and Russia is trying to exploit the situation to its own advantage, Godzimirski tells Dagbladet.

Among other things, he points out that Russia and other energy exporters have a vested interest in oil and gas prices not being too low.

These days, the COP 28 summit is also taking place, which deals with the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

– Major negotiations are now taking place about how the world will deal with the climate crisis, and those who produce fossil fuels must deal with that, says Godzimirski.

– The United States has taken a position

Godzimirski also points out that the war in Gaza may have given Putin an opportunity to ingratiate himself with several countries in the region.

– The US has in many ways taken a clear position in the war between Hamas and Israel. At the same time, the US is also becoming less dependent on the region’s oil and gas. Then a kind of power vacuum arises where others with interests can try to fit in, he says and adds:

– This does not only apply to Russia. China has also become more active in the Middle East.

– Many of the countries in the region are skeptical of America because of the US’s position in the war between Hamas and Israel.

WITH: Ramzan Kadyrov in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday. Photo: Sputnik/Sergei Savostyanov/Pool via REUTERS Show more

– Important

In the photos from the visit to the United Arab Emirates earlier Wednesday, a familiar face from the Kremlin’s personal gallery appears.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov forms part of Putin’s entourage.

– Kadyrov is important to Putin because he has many connections in this region. He is a Muslim and fronts the Muslim identity in the Russian context, says Godzimirski.

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– At the same time, both Putin and Kadyrov have a coincident interest in fronting a less radical interpretation of Islam, he adds.

When asked whether Putin can win with his courtship, the NUPI researcher’s answer is twofold.

– Putin has money and “good will” – and there are many who know that he is not wanted in the West. He can achieve a lot, says Godzimirski.

– At the same time, there is also much he cannot achieve. The countries he visits are also concerned with relations with the West and the balance in the international game.

2023-12-06 19:09:59
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