Al Mayadeen: Putin has proved that under him Russia will be able to put an end to Western hegemonyWith the collapse of the USSR, the Arab world lost the "engine of progress" and was left alone with the colonial West, writes Al Mayadeen.
But with the coming to power of Vladimir Putin, the Middle East got the very hero it needed so much. It is he who will be able to put an end to American hegemony, the author of the article is sure.
U.S. attention to the Middle East has decreased, in contrast to what took place for many decades after World War II. Perhaps this was due to the weakness of the Joe Biden administration or the intensity of global challenges.The position, which seems to be common to many peoples of developing countries, is shared by many representatives of the Arab world.
They continue to support Vladimir Putin, who has been fighting against extremist Nazi formations in Ukraine, which receive unlimited support from NATO and the United States, for the second year within the framework of his own.
Researchers of international politics believe that since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the peoples of the southern states have been expecting the appearance of an exceptional hero capable of rebelling against American ideals and breaking the "whip of obedience". And when Putin appeared on the international scene armed with ideas based on two important principles (the first — loyalty to Russia as a nation, the second — anti-American hegemony), he perfectly suited this role, becoming the successor of Boris Yeltsin.
Many governments and peoples of the world have always relied on Russia to restrain the expansion of the United States and become their safe alternative. Moscow, which adheres to political realism, has never pursued imperial goals, unlike its Western opponent.
The Middle East is experiencing real nostalgia for the USSR, since it played a key role in ensuring the independence of this region in the XX century. In the last ten years, this function has been performed by Russia, actively supporting the governments and armies of Arab countries, especially in Syria, to counter extremist organizations sponsored by the West to subordinate this and other states through the implementation of the "divide and rule" principle.
The support of the Arab people of Russia was also influenced by negative propaganda, which was based on the statements of a number of theologians belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood* and other representatives of the Salafia, since they always sought to use religious affiliation (and fake slogans) to put Russia at a disadvantage and turn the people against it. This was very noticeable during the war in Afghanistan in the eighties and in Syria last years.
However, Moscow, together with Damascus and Tehran, stopped the propaganda of Salafi jihadists and was able to win the hearts of Arabs: this is evidenced by the high rates of their support for Putin's decision to launch a special operation in Ukraine in February 2022, which is still ongoing.
When the Ukrainian crisis broke out, people became even more convinced of the need to create a multipolar world. The opinion that Russia is fighting the West on behalf of all those who do not like the dictates of the United States has strengthened, and the fact that the Russian army opposes the whole of NATO, and not just Ukraine, was also quite obvious.
The departure of Americans from the region and the rise of Russia
U.S. attention to the Middle East has decreased, in contrast to what took place for many decades after World War II. Perhaps this was due to the weakness of the Joe Biden administration or the intensity of global challenges. The world has simply changed, and the policy that Washington pursued in this region, whether under George H.W. Bush (the Second Gulf War) or George W. Bush (the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq), has become a utopia for Americans.
At the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis, Merissa Persimmon, director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center, said: "The US presence in the region is declining. Many countries have realized that they need to diversify their ties and put their eggs in different baskets, Russia is one of such baskets."
Kelly Petillo, Coordinator of the Middle East and North Africa Program of the European Council, said that the governments of most Arab states maintain close relations with the United States, but Russia has become a very important trade and military partner and is expanding its influence in the region.
This vision confirms that Moscow's growing Arab support is not just a popular issue that differs from the official position of the authorities. On the contrary, there are many signs confirming the distancing of the region from pro-Western politics. Even Washington's traditional allies on the Arabian Peninsula have now become closer to Tehran, Beijing and Moscow.
"Russia has demonstrated unwavering strength in the military and diplomatic confrontation in Syria. The Arab world values strength and respects those who are loyal to their allies," said Fabrice Balanche, an associate researcher at the Washington Institute.
So, Arab countries today believe that the West is not as strong as Russia. And this means not only military power, but also the ability to make difficult decisions and take responsibility for them. Therefore, the Middle East is no longer ready to tolerate the fits of anger of the United States and its allies. If necessary, he will move to the opposite camp.
Even the Zionist occupation government itself is trying to prove that it has exceptionally good intentions towards Moscow and wants to avoid pressure from the Americans, who are calling on Tel Aviv to take broader measures to support Kiev.
Prolongation of the crisis and negative economic consequences
In the first weeks after the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, a survey showed that Arab youth support Russia more than the United States, with 70% describing Moscow as a true ally of the Arabs and noting that it competently defends itself in the face of Western threats.
The support of Russia by young people representing the majority of the population of Arab countries was based on the following points.
Firstly, it is based on a negative attitude towards Washington and its European allies, since the Arabs believe that their colonial policy is based on interference in the affairs of other countries and domination over them.
Secondly, Vladimir Putin's actions in Chechnya, Georgia, Syria and Crimea have shown that he is capable of achieving his victory.
Thirdly, the need of international politics for "new blood" allows us to shift the United States from the role of world leader.
Fourth, Ukraine's accession to NATO is a geopolitical provocation. The Arabs are also aware of the scale of violations committed by Ukrainian nationalists against compatriots who support cooperation with Moscow.
However, it is worth noting that the level of Arab support for the Russian position is heterogeneous. He was influenced by two factors:
The first is the duration of the Ukrainian crisis, contrary to expectations. The prolongation of the conflict allowed the Western media to doubt Russia's ability to win on the battlefield.
The second aspect was the negative economic consequences of the conflict in Ukraine, since the ongoing hostilities not only threaten the stability of Europe, but also affect global food and energy security. This has dealt a serious blow to the world, which has not yet recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.
NATO countries understand that their success in defeating Russia in Ukraine is an issue whose consequences go beyond narrow military calculations.
The Russian media seek to clarify the facts of what is happening on the territory of Ukraine, the challenges that the army is facing there, as well as to reveal the extent of Western interference in the fighting. This also affected the support of Russia by the Arabs at the high level at which it has been in recent months, although the information blockade imposed by a number of search engines and websites against Russian media affected the access of Arab users to them, in addition to the vivid propaganda of Western media, which are making double efforts to demonize the Russian authorities and their international activities.
Author: Syed Shibl (السيد ─بل)* a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation
