Posted on Aug 8, 2023
Russia's awkward spats with key allies leave Putin red-faced
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Recent weeks have seen several high-profile spats between Russia and its key backers of the disastrous war on Ukraine, as President Vladimir Putin digs in to try to outlast Kyiv and its democratic partners.
Since mid-July, the Chinese Embassy in Moscow has condemned "brutal and excessive law enforcement by Russia" after several of its citizens were detained at a border crossing. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned Moscow's ambassador over a Russian-endorsed statement it said threatened Middle Eastern stability. And North Korean-aligned hackers have been accused of breaching computer networks belonging to a major Russian missile developer.
The incidents come at a sensitive time for the Kremlin. Its battered forces in Ukraine are fighting against Kyiv's long-awaited counteroffensive, Ukraine and its Western partners are looking to leverage Russia's renewed Black Sea blockade for more support in the so-called Global South, and nearly 40 nations—among them China—recently met in Saudi Arabia to discuss Kyiv's proposed peace plan.
Since mid-July, the Chinese Embassy in Moscow has condemned "brutal and excessive law enforcement by Russia" after several of its citizens were detained at a border crossing. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned Moscow's ambassador over a Russian-endorsed statement it said threatened Middle Eastern stability. And North Korean-aligned hackers have been accused of breaching computer networks belonging to a major Russian missile developer.
The incidents come at a sensitive time for the Kremlin. Its battered forces in Ukraine are fighting against Kyiv's long-awaited counteroffensive, Ukraine and its Western partners are looking to leverage Russia's renewed Black Sea blockade for more support in the so-called Global South, and nearly 40 nations—among them China—recently met in Saudi Arabia to discuss Kyiv's proposed peace plan.
Russia's awkward spats with key allies leave Putin red-faced
Posted from newsweek.com
Russia
Ukraine
Vladimir Putin
China
Posted 10 mo ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Its growing relationship with Russia gives Iran a valuable counterweight to the U.S. and Israel, a stronger position in Syria and reported access to advanced Russian military hardware like the Su-35 fighter jet.
Russia's cooperation with North Korea—based on Pyongyang's willingness to provide munitions—is arguably the most tentative of its post-invasion friendships. "It needs to find ammunition anywhere, somewhere," Ignatov said. "If North Korea is ready, [Russia] has to do it because it doesn't have a choice."
Reuters reported this week that North Korean-linked hackers secretly installed digital backdoors into systems at NPO Mashinostroyeniya, a Russian rocket design bureau responsible for a significant chunk of Moscow's anti-ship ballistic missile arsenal. "If it's true, it's a very big thing," Ignatov said. "It's not like allies usually behave with each other."
He continued: "If there was not this war between Russia and Ukraine, Iran and North Korea would never have played such a big role for Russia."
..."Its growing relationship with Russia gives Iran a valuable counterweight to the U.S. and Israel, a stronger position in Syria and reported access to advanced Russian military hardware like the Su-35 fighter jet.
Russia's cooperation with North Korea—based on Pyongyang's willingness to provide munitions—is arguably the most tentative of its post-invasion friendships. "It needs to find ammunition anywhere, somewhere," Ignatov said. "If North Korea is ready, [Russia] has to do it because it doesn't have a choice."
Reuters reported this week that North Korean-linked hackers secretly installed digital backdoors into systems at NPO Mashinostroyeniya, a Russian rocket design bureau responsible for a significant chunk of Moscow's anti-ship ballistic missile arsenal. "If it's true, it's a very big thing," Ignatov said. "It's not like allies usually behave with each other."
He continued: "If there was not this war between Russia and Ukraine, Iran and North Korea would never have played such a big role for Russia."
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