I'm not aware of any deal having been reached between Russia and Saudi Arabia. In terms of Egypt, the new post-Morsi government is less supportive of regime change in Syria than the former government was. There may be openings for Russia to rebuild a relationship with Egypt down the road if the U.S. continues to lack a coherent policy approach toward Egypt. That's probably still in the future, as the transitional Egyptian government is continuing to work toward stability.
Yeah, this goes with what you were saying what some of Russia can do.
Russia warns of Mideast suffering if U.S. strikes Syria
As U.S. ships and British warplanes neared the shores of its last remaining ally in the Middle East, Russia warned again Tuesday that any military intervention in Syria would have "catastrophic consequences" for the region.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said that launching a military strike without seeking approval from the United Nations Security Council would cause "new suffering and catastrophic consequences for other countries of the Middle East and North Africa," according to the Russian TV station RT.
Russia has vowed to veto any Security Council attempts to approve a military attack on Syria, and it is arming Syria as well, which is why the United States is considering a unilateral attack with the help of the United Kingdom and other nations.
"The Russians are extremely mad and there's sort of pre-war frenzy in Moscow," Cohen said. "I think in reality their options are limited but dangerous."
While the Russians are unlikely to oppose U.S. forces in the fields, Cohen listed other things they can do:
- The Russians could also send Assad their supersonic P800 long-range anti-ship missile, which is capable of sinking NATO ships with a single strike. U.S. officials reported that Israel attempted to destroy such missiles in Latakia during a July 5 air strike, though it was unclear if the strike was successful, according to the Guardian newspaper.
- The Russians could expand sales to Iran of weapons and nuclear technology that has both nuclear and civilian functions. Iran's nuclear program is considered a threat by Iran's rivals Israel and Gulf Arab states.
- Russian could pursue plans to deploy a large permanent naval task force and expand its number of bases in the Mediterranean.
The Egyptian military has offered Russia a military base in recent months, and is seeking expanded relations with Russia for weapons and wheat sales, Cohen said.....snip~
Russia warns of Mideast suffering if U.S. strikes Syria