When asked about Russian influence in the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Sharon noted, “I don’t think they [the West] adequately appreciate the importance of national honor in Russia, and the desire to restore the status of an immense empire with all its influence. I have a better sense of that.” Sharon also said he feels Russia is “eager to become an empire again.”
Taken collectively, Putin’s domestic and foreign policy actions paint a conflicting story. On one hand, he has described the collapse of the repressive Soviet Union as the “greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century.” On the other hand, he has stated that Russia wants to facilitate the Middle East peace process.
Which Putin should we believe – the Soviet-era sympathizer or the professed peacemaker?