Moscow seeks friendships in the Persian Gulf

The first aim is to circumvent Western sanctions over Ukraine war. The synergy is to keep oil prices high. For the countries in the region, 'Russia also has the right to assert its zone of influence'. Europe and the US seem resigned to this redefinition of the balance.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - Russian political scientist and orientalist Nikolaj Kožanov, a lecturer at the Persian Gulf Countries Research Centre in Doha, told Radio Svoboda journalists of his surprise when he noticed a shop called Matreshka on the outskirts of the city: "I couldn't believe my eyes, a Russian grocery shop around here".

News of this kind is increasingly common in Arab countries such as the Emirates, Saudi Arabia and others, up to Iran, which Russia is trying to recruit as explicit or disguised allies, mainly in order to circumvent Western sanctions.

On the streets of Doha one hears more and more Russian being spoken, says Kožanov, business is increasing and exchanges of delegations are intensifying: Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov himself is spinning like a top for these latitudes.

"Finding a ticket from Moscow to Qatar before a month and a half is now impossible", all flights are packed. Doha is also an intermediate stop on the way to other destinations in the East, where exclusive resorts are opening in several countries for rich Russians who do not know where to enjoy their fortunes, accumulated over many years of exploiting globalisation.

Russia's 'conversion to the East' focuses heavily 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 regarding the conflict in Ukraine.

Some states are more than friendly with the Kremlin, to the point of becoming de facto supporters, such as the Persian Gulf oil states and others connected to them, such as Egypt and Sudan.

Iraq and Saudi Arabia are colluding with Moscow for the management of the oil market, and in Sudan, where the Wagner company is increasingly rampant, there are plans to build a large Russian military maritime base on the Red Sea. Despite the government's denials, Egypt is planning to produce missiles for the Russian armies, and with the help of Rosatom is building its first nuclear power plant at Ed Dabaa, not to mention Tehran's drones, where Aeroflot planes left without spare parts are being repaired. The UAE is now one of the main centres for the storage and laundering of Russian money, as well as a favourite 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 to their own advantage, offering aid of all kinds, perhaps making statements in support of Ukraine and its territorial integrity, but words leave time to be found'.

The Russian world stretches its shadow to the heights of the skyscrapers in Doha, where the local population cannot understand the reasons for the conflict between Russians and Ukrainians, compared to the actions of the US in the past, for which 'Russia also has the right to assert its zone of influence', as some have argued in talks with Kožanov.

Now the focus is mainly on the consequences on the world economy, and the repercussions on the Arab countries, where the effect of inflation and rising prices is still being felt. The less wealthy are mainly concerned about Ukrainian grain supplies, in general the region is not very stable, and tensions may generate or rekindle other local conflicts.

The issue is not primarily sympathy for one or the other side of the world conflict, however much Russia enjoys favourable feelings in many of these countries, but rather the pragmatism whereby one can look at Moscow no longer as a 'big brother', but as an equal partner, as Tehran most of all tries to do.

According to the expert, "the US and Europe are surrendering to this situation", as evidenced by the visits of Western leaders to the region, "they are only asking not to go too far with the circumvention of sanctions, and not to help Russia militarily", turning a blind eye to everything else. Most of all, Kožanov concludes, the Emirates and Saudi Arabia help Russia, while Kuwait and Qatar lean more towards the West and support for Ukraine, but 'all the balances in this part of the world are being redefined'.