Russia Postpones Arab Summit as Attendance Concerns Emerge

On Thursday, the Kremlin announced the postponement of the upcoming Russia-Arab summit set to take place in Moscow. This decision followed an agreement between President Vladimir Putin and Iraqi President Ahmed al-Sharaa that many Arab leaders would not be able to participate next week due to the «active phase» of the U.S. peace initiative in Gaza.

However, Bloomberg later reported, citing sources familiar with the situation, that the actual reason for postponing the summit was a lack of confirmed attendees from the region.

Among the 22 Arab leaders invited to the forum scheduled for October 15, only Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the Secretary General of the Arab League had confirmed their attendance earlier this week.

Sources from Bloomberg indicated that major regional powers such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates had not confirmed their participation.

On Friday, Putin stated that he suggested delaying the summit “to avoid interfering” with U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace effort, which could potentially bring Israel and the Hamas group closer to a resolution than any previous endeavors.

“If Donald is able to achieve his objectives… it would represent a historic milestone,” Putin remarked to reporters in Tajikistan.

Analysts shared with Bloomberg that the apparent disinterest in the summit could indicate that many Arab nations are more focused on strengthening their relationships with Trump rather than engaging in Russia’s attempts to assert its support and influence in the region.

A source from Bloomberg referred to the last-minute postponement as “disappointing,” but expressed optimism that the event would be rescheduled in the future.

The Kremlin’s announcement indicated that the summit would be held at a “later date to be determined.”

Yury Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy adviser, noted that Moscow is “tentatively aiming for November.”

“The timing will depend on how the Trump plan unfolds. Our Arab friends may also have suggestions. We will consider all viewpoints,” Ushakov told a Russian journalist.