Russia** Putin began his visit to the Middle East on December 6, visiting the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. In the context of the continuous escalation of the conflict in Ukraine and the turbulent situation in the Middle East, Putin's visit has attracted much attention. In order to ensure safety, Russia sent 4 Su-35S fighters as escorts, and each fighter carried advanced equipment and **, a move that has attracted widespread attention from the outside world. Putin's visit was also warmly welcomed by countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, in stark contrast to the pressure exerted by the West on Russia. This visit is likely to bring new variables to the Middle East region and to the international situation.
It is worth noting that during Putin's foreign visit, Japan suddenly issued two "dismounts" against Russia. First, Japan plans to impose additional sanctions on Russia. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said after the G7 virtual summit that in addition to additional sanctions against Russian individuals and organizations, Japan also plans to impose sanctions on third-party organizations suspected of helping Russia circumvent sanctions by the end of the year. It is reported that the G7 has unanimously decided to impose sanctions on Russian diamonds from January next year and gradually impose restrictions on indirect imports of Russian diamonds. Japan's move will further increase sanctions pressure on Russia, which may lead to other countries following suit and imposing more sanctions on Russia. Such a move would have a significant impact on Russia and could even further isolate it.
In addition to additional sanctions against Russia, Japan has also stepped up its assistance to Ukraine. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it will provide an additional $1 billion in aid to Ukraine and provide loan guarantees to the World Bank, for a total of up to $4.5 billion. This is in line with the plans of the United States, the European Union and NATO to aid Ukraine. Although Western aid has weakened slightly, Japan's aid to Ukraine has not decreased, suggesting that Japan intends to move closer to the United States and play a leading role in putting pressure on Russia. Ukraine is currently in a stalemate with Russia, and they want more Western aid, but Western countries are tired of long-term assistance to Ukraine, coupled with the fact that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has led to continuous international pressure. And the United States has also stated that it will not directly give orders, and let Ukraine decide on its own terms to end the conflict and negotiate, which also means that it has released a signal for peace talks. Therefore, the situation in Ukraine remains uncertain.
Putin's trip to the Middle East has attracted widespread attention, not only because of the turbulent situation in the Middle East and the escalating conflict in Ukraine, but also because Putin's visit to the Middle East is expected to break the West's external blockade of Russia. However, Japan imposed two "dismounts" on Russia during Putin's foreign visit. On the one hand, Japan plans to impose additional sanctions on Russia, and even expand the scope of sanctions to "third-party national organizations suspected of helping Russia evade sanctions." Such a move would intensify external pressure on Russia and could further isolate Russia. On the other hand, Japan has stepped up its aid to Ukraine, in line with Western countries such as the United States. Despite the current stalemate in the conflict in Ukraine, Ukraine hopes to solve the problem with Western assistance. However, Western countries are tired of long-term assistance to Ukraine, coupled with the continuous escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has led to increased international pressure, and the situation remains uncertain. Japan's move means moving closer to the United States and hoping to gain recognition from the United States and the West by playing a role in the Ukraine issue. In general, Putin's trip to the Middle East and Japan's sanctions and aid moves will have a major impact on the Middle East region and the international situation, and we need to continue to pay attention to their development.