PUTIN AND THE MIDDLE EAST: DIPLOMACY OR STRATEGIC LOCK?
📌 OPENING – THE TWO FACES OF RUSSIAN DIPLOMACY When Vladimir Putin speaks about the Middle East, he uses the language of peace. He calls for ceasefires. He offers Russian mediation. He meets with Israeli prime ministers and Palestinian leaders, with Saudi crown princes and Iranian ayatollahs. To the outside world, Russia presents itself as an honest broker — a great power that can talk to all sides because it is not emotionally invested in any. But behind the diplomatic smile, there is a harder calculation. Every Russian peace initiative, every offer of mediation, every meeting with conflicting parties serves a dual purpose: to advance Russia's strategic interests while locking the West out of the negotiating room. This is the ninth article in Cakranegara News' 15-part series #RUSSIANFOOTPRINT. We have documented Russia's military footprint (Articles 1-8). Now, in Article 9, we examine the diplomatic front — the art of Russian statecraft in the Middle East. The question is...