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‘Cold shoulder’: Putin cuts ally loose

Iran went running straight to Vladimir Putin after America’s strikes over the weekend. From Russia it received only a “cold shoulder”.

When the United States bombed Iran over the weekend, the country’s Foreign Minister immediately went running to one ally: Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

“Russia is a friend of Iran, and we enjoy a strategic partnership,” Abbas Araghchi said during a press conference in Istanbul, Turkey, amid the initial aftermath of America’s strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities.

“We always consult with each other and co-ordinate our positions.

“I will have serious consultations with the Russian President tomorrow, and we continue to work with each other.”

Hmm. Yes. Well. That meeting ended up yielding a towering, steaming pile of bugger all.

 

Vladimir Putin. Picture: Maxim Shemetov/AFP
Vladimir Putin. Picture: Maxim Shemetov/AFP

 

Putin, who of course has his own problems to consider, given his planned three-day invasion of Ukraine is now well into its fourth year with only minimal progress, offered some words of encouragement for Iran.

“The absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran has no basis and no justification,” the Russian President told the cameras during his meeting with Araghchi.

“For our part, we are making efforts to assist the Iranian people.”

Efforts! How generous, and conveniently ambiguous.

He went on to say that the world was being brought to “a very dangerous line”, with some associated points about the evils of American aggression. There was little in the way of self-awareness, in that regard.

But those were only words anyway, in the end. The “assistance” about which Putin spoke has not proven to be particularly tangible.

 

Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and US President Donald Trump. Picture: Atta Kenare and Charly Triballeau/AFP
 Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and US President Donald Trump. Picture: Atta Kenare and Charly Triballeau/AFP 

Russia and Iran have a complicated relationship. Putin’s regime has also tried to maintain decent relations with the Iranians’ professed enemy, Israel.

But Iran has given Putin military drones to use in his invasion of Ukraine, along with munitions, and in turn, Putin has offered material to help it with its nuclear program.

The kicker, during Araghchi’s visit to Moscow, came from Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov.

Asked whether Russia would provide substantive military support to Iran, by bolstering its air defences for example, Peskov merely reiterated that Russia had condemned the US strikes. He also said Russia had offered to act as a mediator.

“These are types of support,” he said.

Not the types of support Iran was seeking.

There’s an interesting report in The Wall Street Journal, today, which tracks the hollowness of Russia’s promises to Iran, and suggests Putin is giving Iran “the cold shoulder”.

The pair’s alliance, such as it is, looks like quite the one-way street.

Back in late 2023, for instance, Iran announced that it had reached an agreement with Russia which would result in the reception of Su-35 fighter jets, Mi-28 helicopters, S-400 air defence systems and Yak-130 training jets.

All Iran ultimately got was the batch of training jets.

 

Russia has not deigned to actually share most of its technology with Iran. Picture: Getty
Russia has not deigned to actually share most of its technology with Iran. Picture: Getty

 

“There’s nothing, really, to talk about,” Putin said last week, when asked whether Russia would supply more military hardware to Iran.

“Russia is not as good a friend of dictators as it pretends: Putin often turns his back on his autocratic friends when they need him,” Fabrice Pothier, a former top NATO adviser, told The Wall Street Journal.

And political scientist Andrey Kortunov, Director-General of the Russian International Affairs Council, pointed out that Russia was ultimately powerless to stop strikes on its ally.

“A country with which, five months ago, Russia had signed a strategic partnership agreement,” said Mr Kortunov.

“Moscow is clearly not prepared to go beyond political statements.”

Crucial NATO summit begins

This is all happening against the backdrop of a NATO summit, featuring leaders from all the alliance’s core nations, including Mr Trump.

Mr Trump joined leaders from NATO’s 31 other members to kick off the two-day gathering, with a dinner hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander.

The alliance hopes to keep Mr Trump bound to its mutual defence pact by meeting his demand for a headline figure of 5 per cent of GDP on defence spending.

But Mr Trump refused to say he was committed to NATO’s Article 5 clause, in comments that will likely rattle his counterparts on the continent.

 

Mr Trump disembarks Air Force One in Amsterdam. Picture: Koen van Weel/AFP
Mr Trump disembarks Air Force One in Amsterdam. Picture: Koen van Weel/AFP


“Depends on your definition. There’s numerous definitions of Article Five,” Mr Trump told journalists aboard Air Force One.

“I’m committed to being their friend.”

To keep Mr Trump on board, NATO members have thrashed out a compromise deal to dedicate 3.5 per cent of GDP to core military needs by 2035, and 1.5 per cent to broader security-related areas such as cybersecurity and infrastructure.

NATO says the military build-up is crucial to deter Russia, which officials warn is rapidly rebuilding its forces depleted by the war in Ukraine, and could be ready to attack the alliance in five years.

But it is just as important for keeping Mr Trump engaged as the United States warns it may shift forces from Europe to face the threat from China.

“They’re going to be lifting it to 5 per cent, that’s good,” Mr Trump said.

“It gives them much more power.”

But while the promise of more spending could win Trump over, deep divisions remain over the approach to Europe’s key security issue: the war in Ukraine.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told an audience that NATO’s “historic” spending pledge showed “the Europe of defence has finally awakened”.

Alliance leaders, meanwhile, many of whom are struggling to find the money that will be required, lined up to argue that the threats facing the continent required bold steps.

“We must navigate this era of radical uncertainty with agility,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, while announcing the UK’s commitment to meet the target.

At the other end of the scale, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez risked Mr Trump’s ire by insisting his country doesn’t have to meet the 5 per cent target.

– with AFP

Author: Samuel Clench

Source: News Corp Australia Network:

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