"What is happening today is a historic correction: the return of the balance lost to the world following the dissolution of the Soviet Union," Syrian dictator Bashar Assad claimed in a show of absolute support for the Kremlin soon after Russia invaded Ukraine last week.
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This move came as no surprise from a leader who owes his survival in the Syrian civil war to Russian President Vladimir Putin. And yet, the statement emphasized the rapprochement between Damascus and Moscow at a time when other countries preferred to tread more carefully.
Assad wasn't the only one in the region to show their support for Putin. On Tuesday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah spoke out against the US, blaming it for the war in Europe.
"The repercussions of what is happening today in Russia and Ukraine threaten the world," Nasrallah said at a conference marking 30 years to his predecessor Abbas al-Musawi's death. Nasrallah compared the response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine to that of the US invasion of Afghanistan to demonstrate the world's hypocrisy. [U.S. President Joe] "Biden stole 3.5 billion dollars from the Afghan people, and the world was silent," he said. "America is responsible for the events transpiring in Ukraine. It pushed things in this direction, and in the end, the ones who pay the price are the Ukrainian people and the Russian people. It's a lesson for all those who rely on and bet on America."
In contrast to Putin's devotees in Lebanon and Syria, a majority of Arab states continue to sit on the fence. Russia has been involved in both the Syrian and Libyan arena in recent years and has become a regional player everyone takes into account.
Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates Mohamed bin Zayed spoke by telephone with Russia's president Tuesday. According to a Kremlin statement, bin Zayed emphasized Russia had a right to defend its national security. A senior UAE official said his country would not be taking sides but would support a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
With the war potentially impacting the price of bread in Egypt given the involvement of the largest wheat exporters in Ukraine and Russia, Cairo has also called for a diplomatic solution to the conflict. At the same time, the Egyptians plan to import flour from other countries.
Cairo also took care to convene an emergency meeting of the Arab League Council. At the emergency meeting, attendees emphasized the need for dialogue toward a diplomatic resolution and recommended the formation of a group of ministers from Arab states to be tasked with discussing the crisis and consulting with the relevant officials.
Nevertheless, it appears these are largely declarative steps aimed at placating both Russia and the US.
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