The four-day visit by Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Qatar in March 2021 merited few global headlines. It did, however, underline several trends in relations between Russia and the Middle East. First, the Gulf states are cognizant of Russia’s influence and remain keen to cultivate ties. Lavrov, for instance, was presented with one of the UAE’s highest honors. Second, Russia’s high-level engagement with the region contrasts with the more reticent approach by the United States; Saudi and Emirati weapons sales approved by the Donald Trump administration continue to languish, the Caesar Act has stymied Gulf efforts to participate in Syria’s rehabilitation, and many of the region’s leaders have yet to speak directly with President Joe Biden. Third, the tripartite meeting between the foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey, and Qatar in Doha on March 11 was evocative of extending the Russian-Turkish “frenemy relationship” to yet another theatre in the Middle East.
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Anna Borshchevskaya, Raed Wajeeh, Daniel Rakov: Russia in the Middle East
(FILES) In this file photo taken on Dec. 1, 2018 Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (L) and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a bilateral meeting on the second day of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Buenos Aires, on Dec. 1, 2018.
