Anna J. Davis
Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to claim a relevant role in the Middle East while being largely ignored and pushed aside by major actors, including the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Putin told U.S. President Donald Trump during a phone call on March 9 that Russia wants to “be helpful” in the Middle East. Trump replied that Putin could be more helpful by meaningfully engaging in efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine (The White House, March 10). The Kremlin has not budged on its demands for full control of Ukrainian territory that it illegally annexed in 2022, yet it continues to blame Kyiv for stalling progress in talks (see EDM, February 24; President of Russia, March 9). Meanwhile, the PRC has already begun mediation efforts in the Middle East with no public recognition of the Kremlin’s stated desire to do the same (PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, March 10). Putin is failing to recognize that Russia’s role is irrelevant and unwanted in the Middle East right now and that he is being pushed aside as a result.
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