Expansion of Russia – Hamas Relations: Sources and Implications

Russia’s relations with Hamas is of a great importance because from one hand, this organization has been listed as a terrorist organization in the US and Europe and from the other, Moscow’s relations with this Palestinian organization includes many political contradictions for the both sides. Hamas, at least verbally, has always supported Islamic movements throughout the world, which includes the Chechens in the North Caucasus. Putin’s government made an apparent effort to enhance relations with the Middle Eastern countries – pro-US and anti-US, Arab and nonArab. It is noteworthy that in this process, it established close relations with both major Palestinian Organizations – Fatah and Hamas – and also with Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The question of this paper is why Moscow, despite all the mentioned differences, has continued to expand its relations with Hamas? The author surveys the development in Russia’s Middle East policy, then its impact on the relations of Russia with Palestinian groups, like Hamas.