Part 4/12:
This summit's failure is emblematic of Moscow’s declining influence in the Middle East, a region where Russia once sought to reassert its dominance. When Vladimir Putin intervened militarily in Syria in 2015, he dramatically reshaped regional politics—saving Bashar al-Assad from collapse, establishing military bases, and engaging with diverse regional actors like Israel, Iran, and the Palestinian authorities. For several years, Putin positioned himself as an impartial power capable of mediating conflicts and maintaining relations across ideological divides.
However, recent developments have severely undermined this image: