IntelBrief: Key Gulf States Help Putin Break out of Isolation

Bottom Line Up Front

• Russian President Vladimir Putin’s early December trip to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) sought to demonstrate that the United States and Europe have failed to isolate the Russian leader.
• The recent trip helped Putin take advantage of worldwide criticism of U.S. support for Israel’s offensive in Gaza and shifting world attention from the war in Ukraine.
• Russia and major Persian Gulf oil producers, particularly Saudi Arabia, are trying to align their oil production policies to reverse the recent price weakness.
• After returning from the Gulf, Putin received Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi in Moscow to amplify and further expand the Russia-Iran strategic alliance.