Economics
Putin Is Filling the Middle East Power Vacuum
- Saudi king’s first visit brings another Mideasterner to Moscow
- Russia a ‘nimble boxer’ vs musclebound U.S., diplomat says
How Putin Became the Symbol of Russian Power
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The Israelis and Turks, the Egyptians and Jordanians -- they’re all beating a path to the Kremlin in the hope that Vladimir Putin, the new master of the Middle East, can secure their interests and fix their problems.
The latest in line is Saudi King Salman, who on Wednesday is due to become the first monarch of the oil-rich kingdom to visit Moscow. At the top of his agenda will be reining in Iran, a close Russian ally seen as a deadly foe by most Gulf Arab states.