A Friend Who Doesn’t Come: How Moscow’s Allies Are Left Uncovered

“With a friend like Putin, enemies are not needed,” ironically summarizes The Times, describing a chain of events in which Russia preferred distance over intervention. The Syrian rebel army entered Damascus, Bashar al-Assad was removed from power, and Moscow — recently his survival guarantor — limited itself to silent observation.

Simultaneously, in Venezuela, elite US units conducted an operation to capture Nicolas Maduro. The Kremlin’s response was reduced to statements about “neocolonialism.” Iran, where the pressure of street protests was increasing, also did not receive real support. The pattern repeats: loud words are there, actions are not.

Geopolitical chess
Despite the declared strategic partnership with Tehran, Russia is in no hurry to take risks. When Israel struck Iranian targets, Moscow chose neutrality. This caution undermines the very idea of an anti-Western alliance that Putin has promoted for years: allies see the limits of the Kremlin’s willingness to go all the way.

Events in Venezuela exposed another vulnerable layer. Russian air defense systems — S-300 and “Buk-M2” — showed weak readiness for modern operations. This painfully hit Moscow’s reputation as a supplier of “reliable protection.” Sources close to the Russian government admit: after Venezuela, selling the image of a technological shield will become more difficult.

Resource constraints
The reason is not only political will. The conflict in Ukraine is draining resources — military, financial, diplomatic. The Kremlin is forced to choose between hypothetical confrontations with the US and more “achievable” goals, where the risk is lower and the stakes are clearer.

Economy under pressure
Sanctions due to the war in Ukraine have significantly reduced revenues: oil and gas exports have fallen by about a quarter. Against this backdrop, Moscow clings to the hope of resetting relations with Washington and a possible peace agreement. The Kremlin still hopes that Donald Trump’s return will simplify bargaining.

Analyst John Lough from the Center for New Eurasian Strategies considers the refusal of active support for Iran a cold calculation. According to him, Russia has already received everything key from Tehran — including drone technologies, which are now localized and produced in Tatarstan. Additional risks are no longer justified.

New realities
Trump’s return to the White House has generated expectations in Moscow of greater freedom of action in the “backyard.” But the principle of “America First” remains a vague signal for the Kremlin. Everything seems acceptable — until Washington starts discussing regime change in Iran.

Venezuela, Iran, Syria, Cuba — the list of points where allies were left without decisive support continues to grow, note correspondents of Bloomberg. In these conditions, Moscow’s geopolitical game takes on a different shade: fewer commitments, more caution, and fewer illusions about a “reliable shoulder.” This is exactly how the strategy, increasingly written about as pragmatic retreat rather than power play, looks today — and this context is becoming more noticeable for the audience of НАновости — Новости Израиля | Nikk.Agency.