On December 10, Russia's "Viewpoint" newspaper published an article by Timofey Bordachev, project leader of the Valdai International Debate Club, entitled "Russia and the Gulf join hands in a global game". The following is an excerpt from the full text:
Russia's visits to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the delegation's extensive programme of negotiations, underscore the extent to which most of the world's leading countries have become flexible over the past year and a half.
At first glance, the opposite should seem like this – for 18 months, the United States and different sectors of the European Union have been running around the globe demanding that countries shrink their relations with Moscow. The result has been the opposite: non-Western countries' **, technical cooperation and contacts of all kinds with Russia have only increased.
The only exceptions are European countries, which, strictly speaking, have become parties to the conflict in Ukraine. Thus, instead of strengthening, we see that the dominant position of the United States in international affairs has weakened. What makes Washington talk about it is that Finland has joined NATO, but even at the regional level, this can hardly be called a huge gain. Considering that even allies such as Japan and South Korea have defied Western anti-Russian sanctions, the acquisition of a new vassal of the United States in Northern Europe looks more like "losing the watermelon and picking up the sesame seeds".
What is the reason for this dilemma?The main problem is that the United States is not at its best. The longer it is unable to come up with anything powerful against Russia, the more pressure Washington will come under from other countries. And just a few years ago, the loyalty of these countries to the United States was unquestionable.
The Americans now do not have the money and political will to convince their former allies to comply. Moreover, it is too late to do so in the context of the growing influence of the BRICS, China's push for development projects, and Russia's openness to various forms of cooperation with countries guided by national interests.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been America's closest partners in the Arab East for decades. Their security, and even their survival, depends in a sense on the quality of their relationship with the Americans. The presence of U.S. troops has historically been seen by some countries as a guarantee against possible Iranian aggression. All this gives the United States confidence in the region. But in the last 15 years, things have begun to change. These changes developed dramatically after the conflict between Russia and the West shifted to the military-technical level. There is already not a single Arab oil-producing country that talks to the United States and pretends that nothing has happened.
No one expects Saudi Arabia or the UAE to completely switch sides and become allies of Russia and adversaries of the West. At the same time, however, we should not see the independence of the countries of the Arabian Peninsula as a mere way to increase their bargaining chips in dialogue with the United States. This is an oversimplification and does not conform to the basic norms of conduct of any country in a chaotic international environment. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and many other countries are not only seeking to improve their situation slightly, but are also working to create new conditions for dialogue with the United States.
A look at the main items on the agenda of the talks between the Russian leader and the leaders of the two great powers on the Arabian Peninsula shows that they all reflect changes that were unimaginable in the past. The agenda consists of three main points: energy, the conflict around Israel, and BRICS. On all three fronts, we can see deep divisions between Arabs and Washington: the Americans are unwilling to compromise, while Saudi Arabia and the UAE believe they can achieve changes that are beneficial to them. Russia, which also wants to set the rules of a fairer game, acts as an alternative pole here.
Putin's second most important topic of talks today is the situation around Israel and the Gaza Strip. There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia or the UAE have neither the ability nor the political will to go out in person to confront Israel in person. But it is not unreasonable for the Arabs to be dissatisfied with the policies of the United States, which pursues an unconditional position of support for Israel.
The third item on the official agenda of the visit is related to the fact that the two countries will join the BRICS in January next year. Joining this major organization as a global alternative to the West would mean a qualitative change in the international status of the countries of the Arabian Peninsula. Entering this high-level international political coalition will not only automatically raise their value in dialogue with Europe and the United States, but will also create a whole new context for this dialogue and all other foreign relations.
For Russia, all this means moving towards a world order that fully reflects its national interests. Not to mention that the participation of these rich countries in the BRICS will help move faster towards eroding the monopoly of the dollar, switching to local currencies**, and establishing alternative payment systems. The growing autonomy of the countries of the Arabian Peninsula is not only beneficial to Russia, but also indispensable for building a sustainable world order. (Compiled by Tong Shi Group).