Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn’t exclude the possibility to become a mediator amid the Arabian Gulf crisis. Current King Salman’s visit to Moscow could be a fresh start in the settlement of that regional tension.
Saudi Arabia has voiced its interest in launching ventures in Russia’s Arctic oil and gas fields over almost a decade. The Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, also seeks cooperation on nuclear and renewable energy and railways with the powerful Russia.
King Salman scheduled to meet Russian President on Thursday, during which is expected to touch upon Iran, Qatar, Yemen and Syria, in addition to economic cooperation.
The future of Russia and Saudi Arabia, and the place of the US in it
In the anticipation of this historic meeting of two leaders, the experts ask just one question – will the Russian-Iranian relations downgrade at some point? Though Russia will not be replacing the US in this regard due to the many complicated connections the Middle East has with the West in general and America in particular, Moscow is trying to encourage Middle Eastern countries to have better relations based on mutual understanding and common benefits.
Regarding Syria, this joint problem of many countries, a Kremlin adviser believes that King Salman’s visit is related to the losses pro-Saudi opposition groups suffered in the Syrian war. Russia’s role grows, and this powerful country is ready to play Middle East mediator during King Salman’s visit to Moscow.
