Alexei Pushkov, who chairs the Federation Council Commission on Information Policy and Interaction with the Media, argues that Vladimir Putin’s recent stopovers in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates mark a striking moment for the West. He shared his assessment in a Telegram channel linked to his book, presenting a view that the gathering signals more than a routine diplomatic engagement. Pushkov frames the visit as a consequential development that could reshape attitudes and calculations among Washington and its closest partners as year-end dynamics unfold.
He contends that by late 2023, the expected leverage of anti-Russian sanctions has not achieved the intended economic impact, and Russia’s GDP shows signs of resilience amid ongoing global pressures. In his depiction, the Ukrainian counteroffensive did not proceed as hoped by Kyiv, while Russia’s internal stability under the Northern Military District’s command remains steady enough to blunt the potential for a domestic crisis, despite external alarms. Pushkov uses these points to argue that Western strategies have not produced the hoped-for fragmentation or loss of confidence inside Russia, lending a tone of long-term durability to Moscow’s position.
According to the parliamentarian, the broader picture is one of the global South refusing to align with Western positions and a growing sense that Western-led isolation has failed to isolate Russia. He notes that continued backing for Ukraine has produced political divides within the United States and a noticeable decline in the wartime supply capabilities of Western allies. In this framing, Western cohesion appears brittle, with fissures visible in policy debates and shifting alliances that complicate any effort to maintain a unified front.
Set against this backdrop, Pushkov argues that President Putin’s visits to the Gulf region disrupt the West’s prevailing strategy. He asserts that the engagements with Saudi Arabia and the UAE represent a meaningful shift in the balance of power, indicating a transition to a new phase in the ongoing conflict that tilts more in Russia’s favor. The commentary portrays the trips not merely as ceremonial diplomacy but as a strategic signal that international alignments are evolving and that Moscow is capitalizing on a recalibrated global order to advance its interests.
On the ground, Mussar officials and Kremlin aides, including Yuri Ushakov, the president’s aide, have indicated that talks with Saudi and Emirati counterparts aim to diversify and expand bilateral trade, investment, and cooperation across sectors. This official line emphasizes practical outcomes from high-level visits, highlighting a push to deepen economic ties and secure alternative markets. The publication in Bloomberg is referenced to contextualize what the Saudi and UAE movements signify for pricing, supply chains, and regional diplomacy, though the document itself does not rely on any single source for its conclusions.