WIREDGOV

Putin must walk a fine line between doing the minimum required to support its nominal ally in the region, while ensuring that Russia retains its relevance in the Middle East.

As tensions between Iran, Israel and the US have ratcheted up in recent weeks and prospects of a regional war remains uncertain, Russia’s President Putin must walk a fine line between doing the minimum required to support its nominal ally in the region, while ensuring that Russia retains its relevance in the Middle East.

For Russia, there are practical and political reasons to stay out of a regional war. Some of these are linked to the Ukraine war, and some to its own domestic pressures. Ultimately, whether these tensions spill over into outright conflict, Moscow cannot afford becoming embroiled in another war.

Click here for the full press release