Since beginning the assault on Ukraine in February, Russian President Vladimir Putin has only traveled to Iran twice.
NATO Ally Betrays Us
In Tehran, Vladimir Putin spoke with Ebrahim Raisi, the president of Iran. Later, he will visit Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the leader of Turkey, and the supreme leader of Iran.
On the menu are wheat sales, Syria, and the war in Ukraine. The opportunity to strengthen ties with Iran, one of Putin’s last surviving global allies, comes with the visit.
It comes in response to claims made by US officials this week that Tehran intended to give Russia hundreds of drones to use in its conflict in Ukraine.
The national oil firm of Iran and the Russian energy behemoth Gazprom on Tuesday inked a new development agreement worth $40 million (£33 million).
Putin declared that ties between Russia and Iran were “growing at a decent speed” after his meeting with Mr. Raisi.
Invading your neighbor’s autonomous, sovereign nation usually results in you losing friends. After conquering Ukraine, Russia suffered significant losses. Moscow has become a pariah in the West.
However, the Kremlin is eager to demonstrate that sanctions imposed have not succeeded in isolating Russia, the largest nation on the planet, and some of its allies are still there. like Iran and Turkey.
The three-way conference on Syria will be used by Russia to try to show that it still has strong friends and geopolitical clout.
⚡️Bloomberg: Putin says sanctions cause ‘colossal’ problems in Russian tech industry.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin told officials during a video conference on strategic development goals that Russia is facing "colossal problems" in the high-tech sector due to sanctions.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) July 18, 2022
Iran and Turkey are also adversaries of Russia. As rivals for power in the South Caucasus and Syria, Russia and Turkey are on opposite sides in Libya and Syria, respectively.
Turkish attack aircraft have been assisting the Ukrainian military. Iran is in direct competition with Russia on the world energy market.
It is true that Iran, Turkey, and Russia share some interests. However, that does not ensure a permanent friendship.
In the Syrian civil war, Turkey and Russia have supported opposing factions; in recent months, they have been looking for methods to lessen the carnage.
However, the meeting takes place as Iran and Russia both reject Turkey’s intentions to launch a new attack in northern Syria against Kurdish insurgents.
The action is a part of Erdogan’s ambitions to establish a safe zone along Turkey’s Syrian border for 30 kilometers (20 miles).
After Russia first opposed a request for a one-year extension, the UN Security Council, this week, decided to re-authorize cross-border assistance delivery to Syria, which is controlled by rebels for a period of six months.
What Are They Doing?
Since Putin’s assault on Ukraine began on February 24, Turkey refrained from imposing sanctions on Moscow in an effort to serve as a middleman.
The meeting might provide the Turkish president with a chance to finalize a provisional deal reached between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine to enable the sale of 22 million tonnes of urgently required grain.
🇷🇺 President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Tehran for a summit with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts on Syrian conflict and Ukrainian grain export deal. pic.twitter.com/KrUoCfzDYB
— Irene (@heyhelloirene) July 19, 2022
The safety of grain ship transportation lanes has been agreed upon, according to the defense minister of Turkey.
According to reports, Russia’s Black Sea Navy is preventing any supplies from entering or leaving. The BBC compiled growing proof that Moscow’s soldiers have stolen and sold Ukrainian grain.
Heavy mining has been done on other routes, too.
