Why We Shouldn’t Let Russia Weaponize the Middle East Crisis to Distract from Ukraine
When global tragedies align in such a way that one obscures the other, it behooves us to look not just at the immediate crises but also at who stands to benefit from the fog of chaos. Case in point: the recent, horrific Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which was, by all accounts, the group’s largest and deadliest. This event is garnering significant international attention and provoking understandable outrage. Yet, we must also examine this in context: Russia has been accused of benefiting from the diversion of international focus away from its involvement in Ukraine.
There’s no disputing that the Hamas attack was a tragedy that necessitates a swift and unified international response. The attack involved a multifaceted assault through rockets, drones, and tunnels, resulting in the loss of hundreds of innocent lives. The United States, among other Western nations, was quick to express solidarity with Israel. Military aid to Israel was ramped up, and a carrier strike group was sent to the region to act as a deterrent against further aggression from Hamas and its affiliates.
However, this crisis shouldn’t distract us from another glaring issue: Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Notably, Russia has refrained from condemning Hamas, choosing instead to shift blame to Western nations for neglecting Middle Eastern conflicts. Is this a clever strategy to divert attention away from its own humanitarian violations in Ukraine? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky seems to think so. In a recent address to a NATO parliamentary assembly, he drew parallels between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Hamas’s aggression, emphasizing the necessity of unity against terrorism.
The comparison is apt. Both crises involve transnational actors exploiting vulnerabilities in sovereign nations, all while ignoring international law. Yet, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov advocates for a diplomatic approach, one that aims to create a Palestinian state but ignores the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. It is at this point that one starts to sense the irony — or should I say, hypocrisy? Russia’s position is clearly out of sync with its actions on the world stage.
Moreover, Russia and China have been quite adept at using their UN Security Council veto power to block resolutions that criticize Hamas or support Israel. This political maneuvering aligns with their broader geopolitical interests, maintaining ties with Iran — a primary sponsor of Hamas. Their lack of support for Israel and their reluctance to blame Hamas contrast starkly with the proactive approach taken by Western nations. Given their ongoing relationship with Iran, Russia and China’s stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict could well be seen as an extension of their broader geopolitical machinations.
So, what can we make of Russia’s supposed strategy of exploiting the Middle East crisis? According to the Institute for the Study of War, there’s evidence that Russia is engaging in information operations aimed at blaming the West for neglecting the Middle East while supporting neo-Nazis in Ukraine. But U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has aptly countered this narrative, stating that America remains committed to both Israel’s security and Ukraine’s sovereignty. The onus, then, is on us to not fall for Russia’s sleight of hand.
Even as Israel’s planned normalization deal with Saudi Arabia hangs in the balance and the world grapples with the disruption and loss of life on both sides of the Israel-Hamas conflict, we cannot afford to let Russia obscure its actions in Ukraine. It’s possible to walk and chew gum at the same time; in other words, we can and must focus on resolving both crises without allowing one to overshadow the other.
Our responsibility is twofold. Firstly, to actively address the crises at hand, from the Middle East to Ukraine, without neglecting one for the other. And secondly, to scrutinize those who seek to benefit from the chaos, lest we become unwitting accomplices in their geopolitical games. Attention is a resource. Where we choose to focus it can change the course of nations and the lives of millions. Let’s not allow Russia — or any other actor — to dictate where that focus should lie.
