The end of American hegemony - The World in 2019
▻https://www.economist.com/the-world-in/2018/12/28/the-end-of-american-hegemony
Décembre 2018
Russia is the only country to enjoy friendly relations with all the main regional players, among them Israel, Turkey and, crucially, Iran. The key to any solution in Syria will be in the hands of Russia, not America. Even though Russia has provided air power to the region’s “Shia axis”, Saudi Arabia has co-operated with Russia to manage oil output and push up the price of crude, to the ire of Mr Trump.
Israel, Saudi Arabia and several Arab leaders have cheered Mr Trump at the risk of damaging future relations with America’s Democrats. But Gulf states think he is a fickle friend, a fear heightened by Mr Trump’s warning that the Saudi king “might not be there for two weeks without us”. Russia thus provides a useful hedge against American indifference.
China is making inroads, too. It has a naval base in Djibouti and its warships have called at Gulf ports. As the biggest buyer of Gulf oil, it has a vital interest in the security of the region. But China will mostly limit itself to pursuing economic deals. It will leave the maddening political and security problems to America—or failing that, to Russia.