Russia

While Russia doesn't want to see Khalifa Hifter’s self-styled Libyan National Army collapse, there are signs Moscow’s interests may align more closely with other figures in the country’s eastern government.

The new OPEC+ deal has some advantages for Russia but some of the potential long-term implications may be dire for Moscow.

Syria has requested assisted from Moscow to fight the coronavirus outbreak, as Russia implements a campaign to cultivate its image as a "caring power," approaching Middle East leaders to work together against the spread of the virus.

On April 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss potential cooperation in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, the next steps in joint efforts in Syria as well as the developments in Libya.