BY SRH
In an effort to defuse the crises in the Persian Gulf and Iran, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Thursday that Russia is prepared to do whatever it takes. According to state media, Putin told Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty during a meeting at the Kremlin that Russia is prepared to do whatever it takes to get the Middle East conflict resolved quickly. “We all hope that the conflict will be ended as soon as possible,” Putin said. President [Donald] Trump of the United States addressed this matter yesterday. I say it once more: “The situation in the region is of common concern to us,” Putin stated, and pledged to do all it takes to restore stability to the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a similar message during a phone conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the same day.
Ankara News Agency
According to the Kremlin’s version of the call, “Both sides emphasized the need for a rapid cessation of hostilities and the intensification of political and diplomatic efforts to achieve a long-term settlement of the conflict.”
Given that President Zelensky of Ukraine recently toured the Gulf states in an effort to strengthen ties based on the sale of tiny drone technology—capable of defending the skies against threats from Iran—the timing of the Putin-MbS contact is even more intriguing. He secured drone expertise from Ukraine and negotiated a deal with Riyadh.
The most recent Gulf deal-making by Ukraine was reviewed in the NY Times, as follows:
Rather than being seen as a country that only receives military aid, Ukraine has been actively trying to change its image in the Middle East crisis. In light of the ammunition and weapon shortages experienced during the conflict with Russia, it perceives an opportunity to sell its creative, low-cost solutions. Virtual reality goggles for gamers and off-the-shelf drone components are common consumer technologies used by the Ukrainian military.
According to Mr. Zelensky, who addressed reporters on a conference call, the deals that have been signed with Qatar and are still being negotiated with the United Arab Emirates are ten years long and could be worth "billions." He made his remarks from Qatar, a Persian Gulf state that Iranian drones have been threatening.During their conversation, Putin and the crown prince of Saudi Arabia emphasized that “problems with energy production and transportation resulting from the crisis are negatively impacting global energy security.”
All eyes were on President Trump’s address on Wednesday night to see if he would announce a halt to US sanctions against Iran. Trump assured Iran that they will be hammered severely over the following two to three weeks, but he never provided a schedule, thus this never materialized.
Nevertheless, Moscow continues to be perceived as reaping the benefits of the protracted conflict. This is because the US has relaxed certain oil sanctions, leading to higher prices and an increase in the flow of billions of dollars into Russian state coffers.
