Russia Eyes Opportunities Amidst Israel-Iran conflict, Ukraine Concerns Fade

Contacts wiht the US President, “possible benefits” that could come from the new international situation, the irrelevant to Zelensky.

Of Frame Imarisio

“Kiev Has Been Forgotten,” exclaims the popular tabloid Moskovskij Komsomolets, summarizing the situation. Under this title, an article highlights the phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, where Trump wished Putin “on behalf of the American people” for the Russia Festival (a message absent in 2021), and the relocation of anti-drone systems from the US to the Middle East. The underlying message is clear: “It was finally decided to leave us with the way to deal with Kiev, and with Europe.”

There is no clear Kremlin directive on how to leverage potential benefits from the conflict between Israel and Iran. The common thread is the decline in international attention,notably from America,towards the special military operation in Ukraine. This shift is viewed through the lens of a new relationship with the USA. Politologist Malek Dudakov believes the war between Israel and Iran offers potential to improve relationships between the United States and Russia. “They need us: the USA support Israel on a military level, but there is a rift in their society, and also within the Republican Party. Many ask their leader not to get involved.Because of this,Vladimir Putin’s mediation is not a simple help but a necessity to avoid an escalation that would force Trump to act.”

the War Israel – Iran,Live

In Our Interest

Any intervention in a Middle Eastern negotiation is not seen as a means to restore international prestige to Russia,as state media has consistently emphasized Putin’s centrality in an anti-Western stance. The sole interpretation of this new conflict is a simple quid pro quo.

It matters little that Iran is a historical ally with whom a military collaboration pact was renewed six months ago. “Provided that we talk about global policy, our diplomacy is required to do one thing: to act only in the exclusive interest of Russia,” writes Mikhail Rostovskij, a prominent figure in the so-called Falchi Party. “Do not think of Iran, not in Israel, not to Europe, not America. But only to Russia. We are talking about people and countries who are not entirely foreign, but this is a war that is absolutely extraneous to us. And we should only think of us. It is indeed just pointing.”

Free Hands

And here we return to the initial title: the Russian interest, which consists in having free hands in a Ukraine far from everyone’s thoughts. “In theory, following the war between Iran and Israel, Volodymyr Zelensky could be alone in the face of Putin’s freezing gaze and the face distorted by the anger of the Ukrainian people,” writes Sergey Markov.