Washington has been ignoring Gulf nations’ aspirations, so now they’re in search of extra mutually useful partnerships
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a one-day working go to to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which stunned many with its unexpectedness and led to a heated dialogue concerning the delusion of Moscow’s isolation after the beginning of the particular army operation in Ukraine. Though it was of a “working” nature, the journey was met with a ceremonial reception acceptable for a state go to.
President Putin met with Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. The 2 international locations’ leaders mentioned financial cooperation between Russia and the UAE, together with within the oil and gasoline sector. They exchanged views on the scenario in scorching spots worldwide, notably the Palestinian-Israeli battle. On the assembly with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, the events agreed to develop cooperation in a number of areas, from the oil and gasoline trade and power to geoscience and environmental analysis. The events additionally touched on meals safety, expertise, justice, tourism, sports activities, training, and extra.
After returning to Moscow, President Putin additionally met with Omani Crown Prince Theyazin bin Haitham Al Stated to debate the prospects of cooperation on power, tourism, and funding. The Crown Prince famous Oman’s curiosity in investing within the Russian economic system and spoke about “the necessity to finish the present unjust world order and the dominance of the West, in addition to to construct a brand new, simply, world order, financial relations with out double requirements.”
Later the identical week, on December 8 and 9, Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov took half within the work of the 14th Worldwide Discussion board on Peace and Safety ‘Sir Bani Yas’ in Abu Dhabi, and on December 10, the twenty first Doha Discussion board in Qatar came about, which additional confirmed the curiosity of the international locations of the area in different opinions and positions to the West.
The visits of President Putin to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have been a transparent signal of the rising rapprochement between Russia and the Arab monarchies. These international locations, which have lengthy been shut allies of the US, are more and more trying to Russia for a counterweight to American hegemony within the Center East. They point out that the world is changing into more and more multipolar, with Russia taking part in a extra outstanding function within the Center East.
The US turns a deaf ear to the aspirations of Arab monarchies
The Arab monarchies have historically been thought of allies of the US within the MENA (Center East and North Africa) area, however their relationship is now quickly cooling. The rationale for this systemic discord lies in Washington’s overseas coverage and the aggressive method of the hegemony of the fading superpower.
Even in the course of the Arab Spring, the administration of ex-President Barack Obama supported the revolutionary actions within the Center East, ignoring the fears of its allies, who, for essentially the most half, apart from Qatar, noticed a risk within the protest actions. The elites of the monarchies realized for the primary time the destructiveness of American coverage, which didn’t contemplate the pursuits of its allies. Washington considered these international locations as a method to realize its personal egocentric objectives, treating them as banana republics somewhat than equal members of the worldwide group.
The scenario was helped by the anti-Iranian rhetoric and deal with cooperation with Arab international locations within the financial and protection spheres below the Republican administration of Donald Trump. President Trump made his first post-election go to to Saudi Arabia, the place he met with leaders of the Gulf monarchies and never solely agreed on mutually useful financial agreements but in addition proposed making a unified safety system, dubbed the ‘Arab NATO.’ By the tip of his time period, he introduced Israel and a number of other Arab international locations nearer collectively inside the framework of the Abraham Accords, demonstrating diplomatic success and scoring important political factors.
US relations with its allies within the area appeared to be again on observe, however the victory of Joe Biden and the arrival of Democrats shattered these goals. Washington started to exert intense stress on the Gulf monarchies, freezing arms gross sales contracts reached below Trump and publicly criticizing these international locations for “human rights abuses” and “lack of democracy.” American politicians didn’t perceive or didn’t need to contemplate the aspirations of regional elites, attempting to dictate to them situations favorable to the US, each by way of oil provides and arms gross sales.
On the similar time, the six Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain – are essentially the most economically affluent international locations in your complete Center East area. They’ve amassed important monetary assets due to power exports and pragmatic insurance policies. At the moment, a brand new elite has shaped in these international locations – the closest circle of monarchs. These “new decision-makers” are targeted on growing their international locations and defending nationwide pursuits.
The brand new actuality is that the Arab monarchies are not unquestioning allies of the US. They’re able to defend their pursuits, even when it means cooperating with different powers, together with Russia. After all, these relations is not going to be ultimate. Russia and the monarchies have totally different pursuits and views of the world. Nevertheless, cooperation between them is feasible, and it might create a brand new stability of energy within the Center East.
The Russian army operation in Ukraine: Triggering the collapse of the outdated world order
The beginning of Russia’s particular army operation in Ukraine was a turning level. The US intensified stress on the international locations of the area, urging them to hitch anti-Russian sanctions to their very own detriment. Nevertheless, the Arab monarchies didn’t pay attention, as they understood that the roots of the battle in Ukraine lay in Washington’s want to strengthen its hegemony by harming Russia. Moscow, moreover, was in a position to provide the engaging concept of forming a brand new, simply world order that will fulfill the wishes of the world’s majority, together with the Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf.
The US’ conventional allies within the area not solely didn’t be part of the anti-Russian sanctions but in addition selected a place of “optimistic neutrality.” For instance, Saudi Arabia and the UAE continued coordinating efforts with Russia inside the framework of the OPEC+ agreements to stabilize world oil costs. Though Washington repeatedly demanded in an ultimatum that Saudi Arabia and the UAE improve oil manufacturing to decrease costs, different states within the area have additionally maintained political and financial contacts with Moscow, not opposing the US however somewhat defending their nationwide pursuits.
This coverage of the Gulf monarchies is deeply irritating to Washington, however the strategic errors of the US don’t permit it to rectify the scenario. Latest years have been a interval of whole failure for US coverage within the Center East. For instance, due to Moscow’s lively diplomatic efforts, Syria returned to the League of Arab States. It normalized relations with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and different key regional international locations. Later, with China’s mediation, a reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran started. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, disliked by the Democrats, normalized relations with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Israel, and Egypt.
The Arab monarchies have come primarily to the thought of “regionalization,” which means the necessity to harmonize relations between regional gamers and interact in dialogue to remove contradictions between totally different actors. In 2023, on the twentieth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq, which continues to burn as a result of impossibility of forming a secure state, discussions gained recognition about the necessity to reintegrate Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and different war-torn and crisis-ridden international locations into the Arab household.
This subject was addressed in an article on the Arab Information platform by Baria Alamuddin, an award-winning journalist and broadcaster within the Center East. The writer notes that “the catastrophic invasion of Iraq was constructed on lies and fraudulent motives, disrupting the stability within the area in such a method that the implications are nonetheless being felt at this time, particularly after the following destruction of neighboring Syria. For hundreds of years, Iraq has embodied the beating coronary heart of Arab civilization and tradition. Nevertheless, 20 years after the invasion and after the deaths of some 500,000 Iraqis, this cornerstone Arab nation stays in ruins, regardless of its huge pure assets.”
Alamuddin additionally identified that Arab leaders repeatedly warned the administration of former President George W. Bush concerning the unfavorable penalties of invading Iraq, which stay unresolved to today. In her article, the writer quoted the phrases of the late Saudi Arabian Overseas Minister Saud al-Faisal, who mentioned that anybody who thinks they will management Iraq is mistaken. The Arab international locations themselves additionally made a mistake by leaving Iraq and tearing the nation away from its Arab middle.
It may be mentioned that the Russian army operation in Ukraine has been a robust catalyst for the processes which have lengthy been underway on the planet. On this context, the Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf occupy a necessary place. They’re main gamers within the Center East and have the potential to turn into one of many facilities of the brand new world order. Nevertheless, to take action, they should unite and develop a typical technique for his or her growth.
The warfare in Gaza is a further US headache within the MENA
One other blow to American positions within the area was the most recent escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli battle. On October 7, Hamas carried out a harsh assault on Israel, breaking by way of the IDF’s fortifications on the border with Gaza and taking civilians and troopers hostage. In response to the actions of the Palestinian group, the federal government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu introduced the beginning of an offensive on Gaza, the official aim of which is to remove Hamas.
Even earlier than these occasions, the Biden administration intensified its diplomatic exercise within the area earlier than the upcoming presidential elections. Washington facilitated closed-door negotiations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, however the media reported that Riyadh was dissatisfied with the US’ place on increasing protection cooperation. A minor occasion was the achievement of an settlement on increasing US protection and financial ties with Bahrain, however it couldn’t produce any important impact. However all these achievements ceased with the beginning of the battle in Gaza. Saudi Arabia withdrew from negotiations on normalizing relations with Israel, and Bahrain recalled its ambassador and introduced the suspension of commerce and financial cooperation with the Jewish state.
The US couldn’t keep on the sidelines of the battle involving its primary regional ally, Israel. However all makes an attempt to resolve the battle have been in useless. From the primary days of the battle, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken flew to the area, on the one hand looking for to forestall the involvement of regional gamers and, on the opposite, demonstrated a want to keep away from a full-fledged begin of the Israeli floor operation. The US despatched a big army pressure to the area to strengthen its place. Nevertheless, the issue was that Washington couldn’t see the will of the states of the area themselves to not become involved in an all-out battle, and the buildup of US forces solely brought about extra irritation with American coverage within the Center East.
Because it was unattainable to steer PM Netanyahu’s administration, the bottom operation was launched. Washington was left solely to resign itself to this and improve army help for Israel, thereby strengthening anti-American sentiment among the many “Arab avenue” towards the backdrop of the aggressive actions of the IDF in Gaza, that are making a humanitarian disaster and colossal casualties among the many civilian inhabitants.
The battle continues, and discontent with Israel’s actions towards the Palestinians is rising, which has led to public stress on Arab leaders. The US can not provide something sensible, whereas Moscow is actively discussing with Arab leaders a draft of its plan for a Palestinian-Israeli settlement with the participation of regional powers.
The outdated world order is collapsing, and that is understood within the Arab monarchies. Regional international locations are ready for the method of forming new guidelines of worldwide relations that can assist shield the pursuits of those states on the world stage. Arab international locations don’t need to select sides; they want to set up diversified relations with all energy facilities and conduct a mutually useful dialogue. Such a coverage has been inherent in Arab international locations since they gained their independence, and now it’s only gaining momentum. The strict coverage of the US is forcing these international locations to rethink their sturdy dependence on Washington relating to economics, safety, and expertise.
Again within the early 2000s, in one in every of his interviews, Saudi Arabian Overseas Minister Saud al-Faisal in contrast the ideology of Saudi Arabia’s overseas coverage to the perspective in the direction of marriage in Islam. He mentioned {that a} religious Muslim has the precise to marry 4 wives below Sharia, however on the similar time, treating every of them equally. Thus, he spoke concerning the development towards diversification of exterior ties, which doesn’t suggest a whole break in relations between Riyadh and any of its companions.
Relations between Arab monarchies and Washington are going by way of a “troublesome interval” that may be overcome by way of open dialogue on an equal footing. The thought of a brand new world order, which is interesting to the international locations of the area, implies strengthening relations with some companions with out harming others for the good thing about the nationwide pursuits of every nation concerned.
Supply hyperlink
