ENERGY, WEAPONS, AND ALLIANCES: RUSSIA'S THREE WEAPONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST CRISIS
📌 OPENING – THE TRINITY OF RUSSIAN POWER Every great power has its toolkit. The United States has its aircraft carriers, its dollar, its alliances. China has its Belt and Road Initiative, its manufacturing might, its growing navy. Europe has its regulatory power, its single market, its soft power. Russia's toolkit is different. It is smaller. It is less elegant. But it is effective — particularly in the Middle East. Russia wields three primary weapons in the Middle East: Weapon Description Why It Works Energy Control over oil and gas markets, OPEC+ influence The Middle East runs on energy; Russia influences prices globally Weapons Arms sales to both sides of conflicts Regional actors need military hardware; Russia is a willing seller with no political conditions Alliances Strategic partnerships with Iran, Syria, Turkiye, Gulf states Russia talks to everyone; no permanent enemies, no permanent friends This is the twelfth article in Cakranegara News' 15-part series #RUSSIANFOOTP...