Liz Sly
Two
decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union affirmed the U.S. as the
dominant power in the Middle East, a resurgent Russia is seeking ways
to fill the vacuum left by the departure of American troops from the
region and the toppling of U.S. allies in the Arab Spring revolts. The
recent diplomacy that averted a U.S. strike on Syria underscored the
extent to which Russian President Vladimir Putin has emerged as the world leader with the single biggest influence over the outcome of the Syrian war.
Less conspicuously, Russia has been nurturing new alliances
and reaching out to traditional Arab heavyweights such as Egypt and
Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has made two trips to Moscow
in the past year and none to Washington. His talks were focused on a $4
billion defense deal including fighter jets, which are expected to be
delivered soon. Meanwhile, strains between Egypt's new military-backed
rulers and Washington have led Egyptian leaders to encourage Russian
advances. (Washington Post)
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