Middle East gets a strategic boost from war in Europe

While the responses from oil-rich kingdoms and Israel to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are varied, there is no doubt the war will have a deep impact on countries in the region

- Jonathan Eyal

Officials in Washington have refused to either confirm or deny rumours that US President Joe Biden is considering an imminent trip to Saudi Arabia in order to enlist the support of the oil-rich kingdom in the current showdown between Russia and the West.

But the fact that rumours of this kind circulate indicates that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has enhanced the Middle East’s strategic importance to both Europe and the United States.

Only two Middle Eastern governments have adopted clear positions on the Ukraine war.

Kuwait strongly denounced Russia’s incursion; the small Gulf monarchy was invaded by Iraq three decades ago and evidently saw parallels between its experience and Ukraine’s current plight.

And on the other side of the spectrum, Syria was the only Middle Eastern nation voting in support of the Russian action when Ukraine recently came up for debate before the United Nations General Assembly. Syria could have hardly done otherwise, since its President Bashar al-Assad owes his rule – and probably his life too – to the Russian troops in his country.

But every other Middle East government has preferred to say as little as possible about the war in Europe.