Algeria is in the first place in the list of countries that benefited from the Ukrainian crisis – today it is one of the main gas suppliers to the European market. According to the Lebanese edition of RaseEF22, after the start of the war in Ukraine, many questions arose about the position of Algeria in relation to the conflict, since Moscow and this African country historically connect special relations, in particular, in the energy sector.
Over time, it became obvious that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict contributed to the appearance of three blocks. The first is the NATO block, led by the United States, which, of course, supports Kyiv. It opposes the second block, which includes a few countries that clearly support Russia, namely North Korea, Belarus and Syria. As for the third block, while it remains neutral, although formally. It can be distinguished by China and Algeria.
In the midst of the confrontation between Moscow and the West, which has reached an unprecedented level since the beginning of the nineties of the last century, the global energy crisis, and the international sanctions of Algeria were visited by many heads of state and governments. This diplomatic trend serves to protect the economic interests of Algerians, but in coordination with Moscow. Thus, the country was accepted by the Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draga, and before him Algeria was visited by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, where negotiations with his colleague Ramtan Lamamra and the president. Do not forget about the visit of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken – the first of its kind over the past 22 years.
In this regard, Adlan Makhtali, an Algerian analyst in the field of international relations, said in an interview with RaseEF22: “Moscow knows Algeria and perfectly understands that this stage is the stage of using opportunities, and everyone persists their interests.” He explained his position as follows: “Algeria was one of the countries undergoing pressure at the beginning of the conflict, and it was in this context that I am considering the visit of the deputy Secretary of State. His goal was to attract Algerians to their side”.
“This phenomenon in modern international relations is called commitmentalization. We cooperate in areas of common interests and compete where their conflict is observed, as a result of which relations between countries do not spoil,” the expert said.
According to the Algerian researcher, in the interests of Russia, so that its allies weaken the pressure on Europe. In the interests of the winner, leave the defeated path for retreat, provided that he will be able to control the place, time and the course of the retreat.
“Moscow arranged a gas blockade to Europe, and it is beneficial if its allies, not opponents, will offer her energy alternatives. They do not obey America, do not believe in unipolarity and do not extract from it. It means Italy who achieved it, which has achieved it. Increased supplies not only from Algeria, but also in other countries, ”continued Makhtali.