Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has announced plans for a global summit involving Russia and the Arab League group of nations. The initiative follows many months of international sanctions against Russia, led (selectively) by the European Union and the now-departed U.S. Biden administration.
The summit would also reflect the growing diplomatic involvement of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, with Saudi Arabia mediating between Russia and Donald Trump’s U.S. on the future of the Ukraine war, and Oman acting as a go-between in U.S.-Iranian talks over the latter’s nuclear programme.
In the first-ever visit to Russia by an Omani head of state, on Tuesday, April 22nd, Putin told Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq
We plan to hold a summit between Russia and Arab countries this year.
With an increased role for the nation state in world affairs, the situation needs monitoring closely, as Muslim petro-powers try to shape the global agenda. The process has even put pressure on the GCC unity itself, ranging from the United Arab Emirates launching a Washington think tank to Qatar’s independent foreign policy previously bringing it into conflict with its neighbours.
