Historically Russia and Saudi Arabia have not been friends. This could be changing. It seems even past disagreements over Syria are being put to one side as The Saudi King pays a visit to Moscow this week.
Russia and Saudi produce almost 50% of the worlds crude oil
In the past, these two nations competed fiercely to ensure a fair slice of the crude oil market. According to a report by Mansur Mirovalev in Aljazeera News, the old adversaries are meeting in Moscow, putting differences aside, and talking "bi-lateral ties" according to Dmitri Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin.
Syria aside, the Kremlin and the Saudi's could be discussing the remarkable decline of the USA as a superpower under its current president. A particularly chilling comment was made by a Moscow defence analyst called Anatoly Tsiganok recently as he referred to Washington's power as being in a rapid decline in the last three years.When discussing the new cordiality between Russia and Saudi Arabia, he specifically stated to Aljazeera news that, "... the situation has changed cardinally, that is why now Middle Eastern nations pay attention to Russia."
The Saudi king heads to Russia to discuss oil, investment, and Syria https://t.co/4koaUQw245 pic.twitter.com/GmPy3k89FC
— Business Insider (@businessinsider) October 3, 2017
Combined with recent reports that Russia is currently sanction-busting and supplying North Korea with oil, it could be said that Putin is rapidly becoming the new mover and shaker in world politics.
Perhaps we should all be bracing ourselves for a new round of tweets from president Trump, which appears to be the only diplomacy, for want of a better word, emanating from the USA these days. After all, to the rest of the world, it seems that Tillerson, Secretary of State for President Trump, appears to be continuously placed in embarrassing situations.
One seriously begins to doubt that President trump has any understanding of international relations and currently he is being trumped (pardon the pun) by Putin.
Will Putin and the Saudi King discuss DPRK?
When a respected Russian defence analyst categorically states that Washington's influence is in decline, should the little people around the world be concerned or happy?
Can Putin prevent nuclear war? He certainly doesn't want to overly upset Kim Jong Un, but, equally, Putin does not want a war that may end with him having a strong US military force on his North Korean border. Whilst there is no indication that the meetings between the Saudi Arabians and Russia will include talks about DPRK, it would seem to be an unavoidable subject between any clear thinking heads of state at this stage.
Saudi Arabia and Russia have not traditionally been friendly and at least one Russian Middle East expert is cynical about the current discussions changing much in their relationship, according to Aljazeera. Certainly, the Saudi King is as wary of the Russian form of socialism as Russia is of Muslim influences impacting on its own internal politics.
Perhaps they are simply discussing arms deals.
Meanwhile, back in Moscow, Saudi Arabia and Russia are agreeing to disagree on Syria and Yemen and focusing on the price of crude oil whilst undoubtedly keeping an eye on Twitter. Makes me think of that ancient curse "May you live in interesting times."