Russia Reacts to Israel's Rising Lion Operation Escalation

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Photo: Reuters

Russia has called the latest fighting in the Middle East “alarming” and “dangerous” after Israel launched Operation Rising Lion. Russian officials are concerned about how quickly the situation is getting worse.

But while the risk is high, Russian media also focused on what this conflict might bring for Russia. Some saw possible benefits.

One of the biggest was the rise in global oil prices, which could bring more money into Russia’s economy. Another is that the world’s attention may now move away from Ukraine, which has been in the spotlight since Russia’s invasion. A Russian newspaper even ran a headline saying, “Kyiv has been forgotten.”

Some experts also say that if Russia is accepted as a peace broker, it might help Moscow look like a powerful and peaceful country in the Middle East, despite its ongoing war in Ukraine.

But not everything is good news for Russia.

Many experts inside Russia are now saying that this situation could turn into a big problem for Moscow.

Russian political expert Andrei Kortunov wrote in a business newspaper that the fighting could lead to serious trouble for Russia. He pointed out that just five months ago, Russia signed a big partnership deal with Iran, but that didn’t stop Israel from launching airstrikes.

He also said that Russia is not willing to help Iran militarily, and that the partnership between the two countries is not like a military alliance. Russia has only made statements condemning Israel, but has not offered weapons or military help to Iran.

Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a partnership agreement that was supposed to build stronger ties. Russia’s foreign minister even said that the deal focused on security and peace in the region.

But now, Russia is realizing it may not be enough.

In the last six months, Russia has already lost one key friend in the region — Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, who was removed from power last December. After his fall, Russia gave him asylum.

Now, if Iran’s leadership is also at risk, Russia may lose another major partner in the region. This is a big concern for Moscow.

A leading Russian newspaper wrote, “Major changes are happening in global politics, and these changes will affect Russia, one way or another.”

While all this is happening, President Putin is in St Petersburg this week for the International Economic Forum. This used to be a big global event, sometimes called “Russia’s Davos”, but many leaders from Western countries no longer attend due to the Ukraine war.

Still, Russia says more than 140 countries and territories will join this year.

Even though this is an economic event, it’s clear that global politics will be a big part of the conversations. Many will be listening carefully to what Putin says about the Middle East and Ukraine during the event.