PARIS — One year into Russia's war on Ukraine, an array of temblors has shaken the foundations of the Middle East system of alliances.
A number of so-called Global South countries — many of them Arab — that were taken for granted as being pro-Western have now refused at the United Nations to condemn the Russian invasion. And when asked by the United States to increase oil production so as to weaken Russia, whose hydrocarbon exports were boycotted by Western Europe, Saudi Arabia refused to play along anymore and kept the prices high. As for Israel, the Jewish State declined to provide Ukraine with Iron Dome batteries against Iranian missiles used by the Russian military.
