"Is Russia Trying to Play Kingmaker in Lebanon?" Topic

"In the backdrop of Russian police rounding up the country's own politicians and journalists at a peaceful conference, it seems only fitting that Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov welcomed a Hezbollah delegation in Moscow. After all, Hezbollah has its own distinguished history of harassing and killing opposition journalists. Unlike Western states, the Kremlin does not consider the Iran-backed and Lebanon-based Hezbollah a terrorist organization. Lebanon important to Vladimir Putin's aims to expand Russian influence In the Middle East. The country is now in the midst of its worst economic and political crisis in decades and experts note that Hezbollah is losing popular support. Is Moscow now trying to play kingmaker in Lebanon by using Hezbollah?

The first time a Hezbollah delegation came to Moscow on an official visit was in October 2011, upon Moscow's invitation. Few details of the visit were made public, but reportedly Hezbollah, for its part, wanted to enhance cooperation on "issues of mutual concern." These likely included Syria and Moscow's support for the Assad regime. Now, just as in the past visit, Lebanese parliamentarian Muhammad Raad of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc headed the delegation in Moscow. Again it was Moscow that invited Hezbollah. And, as ten years ago, few details of the visit are available. In response to a question about the meeting Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry said laconically, "We confirm the fact of the meeting." Raad told Hezbollah's Al-Manar the meeting focused on how to "strengthen stability in Lebanon and Syria and the achievements that were made against terrorists." The meeting also comes about a week after Lavrov met with Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri as part of Lavrov's trip to Abu Dhabi, where the two officials discussed Syria and strengthening Russian-Lebanese ties…"
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Armand

Good luck to them with that.

Reminds me a bit of how we befriended the Afghanis in their war against the Russian invaders, and look how that turned out for us and the rest of the world.

I have a suspicion this may end up in the same way, eventually, and Putin and the Russians will eventually rue the day he provided assistance to a bloodthirsty, religious sect.