AS MISSILES rolled across Red Square during Russia’s Victory Day parade on May 9th, Binyamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, stood squarely beside President Vladimir Putin. He had come to secure Russian support for containing Iran in Syria. Pinned to his lapel was the orange and black St George’s ribbon, a symbol of the second world war that has become synonymous with Russian revanchism in Ukraine. The overtures appear to have worked: as The Economist went to press, Russia and Israel were finalising an agreement that would attempt to keep Iranian forces some 15 miles (24km) away from the Israeli border in Syria.
The agreement highlights Mr Putin’s delicate balancing act in the Middle East. Since intervening in Syria’s civil war in late 2015, Russia has positioned itself as the indispensable player, able to speak to nearly all sides. It has maintained contact with Turkey, America and the Arab countries involved in the conflict. Most notably, it has...Continue reading
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