Russia reinforces its readiness in Lebanon through partnership with Hezbollah
The escalation of tension between Lebanon and Israel following the assassination of senior commander Fouad Shukr in late July has prompted Russian diplomacy to express its concern through Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
Zakharova sees this escalation as ‘an extension of the ongoing Israeli war with Hamas and called for a quick ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that would serve as a gateway to stability in the Middle East’.
According to the Middle East Institute report, written by Samuel Ramani, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, Russia's dismay at the escalating tension is rooted in the Kremlin's relations with Hezbollah. Primarily, they support each other's use of illicit funding networks to evade economic sanctions; and, in parallel, to strengthen their position on Lebanese territory.
As cooperation in Syria deepens, the Kremlin sees close ties with Hezbollah as the basis for its influence in Lebanon. Russia and Hezbollah's common pro-Assad stance in the Syrian civil war laid the groundwork for multi-level cooperation. Since the two began diplomatic relations in 2015 following Russia's military intervention in the conflict between Syria and the militias of the terrorist group Hezbollah, with the motive of supporting and sustaining Syria's remaining president, Bashar Al-Assad, cooperation between the two has been very high.
The presence in the delegation of Hezbollah's financial adviser Hassan Makled in Moscow, who was later sanctioned by the US government, and subsequent meetings with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov provided the basis for possible business deals.
Such as the 1.5 billion dollar deal with Russia's Hydroelectric Engineering and Construction company to rebuild the Zahrani refinery in southern Lebanon. Almost ten years later, relations between the terrorists and Moscow have deepened, especially in the economic and financial sphere.
Hezbollah and Lebanon's condemnation of Moscow
While the Lebanese Foreign Ministry immediately condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Hezbollah took a completely different tone.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has spoken out against public criticism of the invasion of Lebanon. He said the State Department's response was ‘written by the US Embassy’ and that Lebanon should have abstained from voting on the March 2022 UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russia's aggression.
Nasrallah also expressed disappointment at Lebanon's lack of response to Russia's proposal to invest in an oil refinery that would allow oil products to be sold in Lebanese pounds instead of US dollars.
Although Nasrallah denied Ukraine's claim that 1,000 Syrian mercenaries and Hezbollah fighters were involved in the Russian invasion, his speech reinforced Hezbollah's position as Lebanon's anti-terrorism partner in the Moscow crisis.
Hezbollah's Al-Manar channel has taken Nasrallah's pro-Kremlin messages to new heights, regularly sharing Russian propaganda about the destruction of NATO-grade military equipment in Ukraine and declaring that Ukraine's defeat was inevitable.
As the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon remains fierce and both sides continue to carry out cross-border attacks, Russia has become a voice for easing tensions.
The breakdown of Russian-Israeli relations over Ukraine and Gaza ensures that the Kremlin will lean more heavily towards Hezbollah than in previous conflicts. Even if war does not break out, Russia will seek to use its partnership with Hezbollah to increase its influence in Lebanon.
