Calls for world leaders to boycott the FIFA World Cup in Russia have largely failed despite Human Rights Watch's urging in response to “atrocities by Russian and Syrian forces in Syria” and UK officials' absence over the alleged poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Not only did the presidents of most former Soviet states come to Moscow for the opening ceremony, but so did leaders from across the non-Western world, including from the Middle East. While Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit — which included talks with President Vladimir Putin over an OPEC-Russia oil deal — could have been officially explained by the crown prince’s support for his native Green Falcons in the opening game against the Russian hosts, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri also took advantage of the soccer celebration to hold talks with both the Russian leader and the future Saudi monarch.

Putin’s meetings with Hariri have been regular and are often held behind closed doors. While serving as Lebanon’s prime minister from 2009-2011, Hariri visited Russia on numerous occasions. In 2016, as an ex-prime minister and leader of the Sunni Future Movement party, Hariri met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to ask Moscow to influence the policies of Iran and Hezbollah in the region. Though Hariri visited in a private capacity, he was received in the Kremlin. Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later explained that the Russian president “had good relations” with Hariri’s slain father, late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

In September 2017, Hariri came to Moscow in an entirely different political context, after Russia’s presence in the Middle East had grown dramatically over the Syria campaign. Importantly, that visit occurred amidst successful operations against the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham from territory around Arsal, and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev congratulated Hariri in their meeting. Back then, the agenda of the talks was dominated by refugee issues as well as prospects for bilateral economic and military cooperation. Hariri’s latest trip seems closely associated with all of the issues of his past visits with one exception: This time, there was no mention in the Russian media of military deliveries to Lebanon as part of the talks.

Following his hour with Putin, Hariri said they discussed ways to address issues concerning Syrian refugees. On the same day, Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil harshly criticized the United Nations refugee agency, saying its policy is “to forbid the return” of Syrian refugees to their homes. The Lebanese authorities have a strong interest in thousands of displaced Syrians returning home wherever security is restored. Not only do the makeshift refugee camps undermine the already crippled Lebanese economy, but there have been reports of them serving as a breeding ground for recruitment by various terrorist groups. For both Moscow and Beirut, the issue has not only humanitarian and economic facets, but also a strong political element. The process of repatriating refugees requires the involvement of the Syrian regime, which has been internationally isolated. Hariri, however, doesn’t seem enthusiastic about dealing with Assad, especially in light of the American and Saudi positions on the issue. Hence, Russia’s role in this matter may be key.