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Russian Realpolitik at Work in the Middle East

Mar 10, 2017 | 02:31 GMT

Russian interests in the Middle East
The threat posed by Iranian-backed Hezbollah fighters in the Israeli border region with Syria dominated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's March 9 visit with Russian President Vladimir Putin (R).

(PAVEL GOLOVKIN/AFP/Getty Images)

Visits to Moscow on successive days by two Middle Eastern leaders highlight how Russia's importance in the region has grown over the past couple of years. Russian President Vladimir Putin played host to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today for discussions that will be followed Friday by talks between Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Russian leader will hear their thoughts on trade, energy and investment topics, but security will be a prominent item on the agendas for both meetings, namely concerns that surround the conflict in Syria. Since it deployed troops to Syria in 2015, Russia's profile in the Middle East has risen visibly. Beyond the Syrian battlefield, Moscow has effectively inserted itself into a number of disputes in the region as part of a push to boost its global prominence and bolster its clout in negotiations more critical to Russian interests. In its foray into Palestinian relations...

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