Iraqi officials have expressed interest in developing bilateral relations with Russia. The Kremlin is using Rybar, a Kremlin-aligned Telegram channel, to increase its influence and promote its interests in the region.

Source:Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Quote: "The Rybar channel claimed on January 25 that members of the Rybar team – including its founder Mikhail Zvinchuk – visited Iraq over the last week and met with Iraqi officials, including Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia Al Sudani. The channel claimed that Iraqi officials noted their openness to increasing trade and foreign investments with Russian partners and their interest in further developing Russian–Iraqi relations.

The channel welcomed Russian businesses, media companies, bloggers, and investors to begin exploring opportunities in Iraq. Member of the Rybar team visited Iraq in August 2024, and ISW noted at the time that this was the first observed report of a Russian milblogger meeting with a senior foreign official."

Details:The ISW stressed that Russia was seeking to strengthen its role in the region and prepare for a possible reduction of the US military presence in Iraq. The Kremlin sees this area as a strategic opportunity to strengthen its influence and displace the United States as a key security partner.

The recent fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria has probably prompted Moscow to reconsider its foreign policy strategies in the Middle East region. In this context, Iraq is seen as an important partner for Russia in the areas of trade, infrastructure and security.

To quote the ISW’s Key Takeaways on 25 January:

• Ukraine and Moldova continue to offer solutions to Transnistria's energy crisis as Moldovan President Maia Sandu met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on 25 January.
• The Kremlin is continuing to leverage the prominent Kremlin-linked Rybar Telegram channel to cultivate increased Russian influence in Iraq.
• Russian forces recently advanced near Toretsk, Pokrovsk, Kurakhove, and Velyka Novosilka.
• The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 25 January that the Russian government will allow veterans of volunteer formations to receive "combat veteran status" without submitting a formal application.

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