From ICEJ News: Russia increasing its footprint in the Middle East
Russia increasing its footprint in the Middle EastRussia, which has been largely absent, strategically, from the Middle East since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, is making a comeback in the form of large nuclear, industrial and energy projects in several countries as well as the pursuit of multi-billion dollar arms sales to various governments. “Today, the Russian goal in the Middle East is to regain the influence that the USSR once had,” said Yuri Baramin, a UAE-based Russian political and military analyst. “While the USA is having uneasy relations with MENA [Middle East and North Africa] countries, Russia is making attempts to capitalize on this fact and fill the vacuum left when the United States leaves.”
