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Putin Is Now Mr. Middle East
(Bloomberg) Henry Meyer and Donna Abu-Nasr - Israelis, Turks, Egyptians and Jordanians are all beating a path to the Kremlin in the hope that Vladimir Putin, the new master of the Middle East, can secure their interests and fix their problems. The latest in line is Saudi King Salman, who this week will become the first Saudi monarch to visit Moscow. Former U.S. chief Mideast peace negotiator Dennis Ross said, "Putin has succeeded in making Russia a factor in the Middle East. That's why you see a constant stream of Middle Eastern visitors going to Moscow." "Washington remains the indispensable power in the region," said Ayham Kamel, Middle East and North Africa director at Eurasia Group. But its commitment to traditional alliances is weakening, he said, and that's encouraged regional leaders to hedge their bets.