Vladimir Putin's Egypt Visit Sends Message To US

[Purveyor]

Russian president’s arrival in Egypt allows both countries to signal that their foreign policies are not to be dictated by others


Street lined with banners depicting Vladimir Putin
Banners in central Cairo welcome Vladimir Putin for a two-day visit. Photograph: Asmaa Waguih/Reuters

Patrick Kingsley in Cairo
Monday 9 February 2015 12.36 EST

Russian president Vladimir Putin has flown to Cairo for a two-day visit, in a move nominally aimed at bolstering bilateral ties with Egypt that also allows both countries to send pointed messages to the US.

As Russian and western diplomats struggle to reach a peace deal over the conflict in Ukraine, Putin will spend Monday evening at Cairo’s opera house. In meetings on Tuesday, the day before the resumption of Ukraine peace talks, Putin is expected to hold discussions about ending the use of the US dollar in bilateral trade between Egypt and Russia. Collaboration between a Russian and Egyptian newspaper is also reported to be scheduled for discussion.

Analysts believe both sides, though interested in forming stronger relations, primarily seek to signal to the international community that their foreign policies are not to be dictated by others. In the middle of negotiations that have left him with few friends, Putin wants to show that he still has allies, said Ben Judah, a chronicler of Putin’s life, and the author of Fragile Empire, a book about Putin’s Russia.

“He’s making a show of highlighting how he’s not isolated,” said Judah, who noted how Putin has visited China and India when previously under pressure. “It’s also a way of undermining the US, since Cairo is piece of America’s imperium.

“Russia would like more of a relationship with Egypt. But right now building a stronger relationship is not one of the top 500 priorities for Russia when they’ve got so much else going on.”

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http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/09/vladimir-putin-egypt-visit-message-us-russia