"Is Russia warming up to the Houthis?" Topic

"On Jan. 9, Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia, praised UN efforts to end hostilities in Yemen and pledged Moscow's support for peace negotiations that engage all warring parties in the conflict. While Nebenzia remained circumspect about the prospects for a swift breakthrough in the UN peace negotiations, his conciliatory attitude toward the talks reflected Russia's support for dialogue between the Saudi-led coalition and Houthi rebel forces.

Russia's support for engaging Houthi rebels in multilateral diplomacy has been a consistent hallmark of its Yemen policy since the war's inception in March 2015. In April 2015, Russia was the only nation on the UN Security Council to abstain from Resolution 2216, which called for an arms embargo against the Houthis and imposed a travel ban on the movement's leader, Abdulmalik al-Houthi. While Russia ultimately removed its diplomatic personnel from Sanaa in December 2017 to demonstrate opposition to Houthi involvement in former President Ali Abdullah Saleh's assassination, Moscow has continued to oppose the Saudi-led coalition's campaign to militarily vanquish the Houthis…."
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Amicalement
Armand

They almost always back the other/wrong side, just for grins, and to oppose the West.

Thresher, I think it's more accurate to say that they almost always back the side the West isn't.

Only time I remember Russia and the US on the same side was 1991. Desert Storm. I don't think the Russians wanted any part of going back into Afghanistan.

There's no right or wrong in Realpolitik, which often defines geopolitics. The fact that the Russians back what we consider to be the "wrong horses" in the ME (e.g., Assad, Iran, Houthis) is because if they back the "right horses" (i.e. the same horses backed by the US) they'll be playing second fiddle to the US and conceding regional influence.

Russia is a competitor for influence in the ME, not a stooge of the US. Leave that to Britain.

"Russia is a competitor for influence in the ME, not a stooge of the US. Leave that to Britain."

Correct about Russia. As far as the UK, they try to be the rudder that moves US foreign policy. They have more influence as a partner than a fellow traveler.

The destabilization and frustration of Western plans is the Russian scheme, importantly they are not constrained by publicity and can throw support behind any cause….