In an echo of the Cold War, Egypt gave the red carpet welcome Thursday to senior Russian officials aiming to expand Moscow’s influence through military and economic cooperation with a key U.S. ally in the Middle East.
The flirtation underscores how U.S.-Egyptian relations have soured lately over the Obama administration’s criticism of the July 3 military coup. And although Egyptian officials say the one-time Soviet client is not turning away from the United States, the military-backed government is clearly signaling it has options.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy sought to downplay speculation of a major foreign policy shift, describing the visit by Russia’s foreign and defense ministers as an “activation” of existing ties and speaking positively of cooperation between the two countries “in multiple fields.”
But the fact that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in Cairo weeks after the United States froze millions of dollars in military aid is significant.
The officials gave no details about any arms deals being discussed.
Russia’s Interfax news agency recently quoted an unidentified official of the state Rosoboron export arms trader as saying 3there are no plans to sign big contracts during the Cairo talks.
It said Egypt has shown interest in purchasing Russian air defense missile systems and MiG-29 fighter jets, combat helicopters, and other weapons. But it quoted an unnamed official dealing with arms trade as saying that no big deals are expected in the near future because Egypt currently can’t afford it.
However, a retired Egyptian military general who maintains close ties to the present army leadership said Egypt was inching close to signing a $2 billion deal with Russia for the purchase of 24 MiG fighter jets as well as anti-tank missiles and an air defense system.
“Do you want us to take the (U.S.) slap on our face and remain silent? Of course not,” said the retired general, Hossam Sweilam. “This pressure is not acceptable, so we returned to the Russians to maintain our fighting capabilities.”
Tensions are high between Egypt and the U.S. — its chief foreign backer and benefactor since the 1970s — since the ouster of Mohammed Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president, and the subsequent crackdown on his Islamist supporters that has left hundreds dead and thousands arrested.
Lavrov and Shoigu were greeted with an honor guard and met at Defense Ministry headquarters for talks with Egypt’s powerful defense minister and military chief, Gen. Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi, who led the coup that ousted Morsi.
Throughout the day, state television broadcast black-and-white archival footage of Soviet and Egyptian leaders meeting in the 1950s and 1960s, the two decades that saw the two nations forge a strategic friendship at the height of the Cold War and Egypt’s wars with Israel, Washington’s closest Middle East ally.
“We seek to energize a relationship that is already in existence,” Fahmy told reporters later after meeting with Lavrov.
When asked whether Russia would replace the U.S. as his country’s chief ally, Fahmy said Egypt was not looking for a “substitute for anyone” and that Russia was too significant for such a role.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sought to patch up things with the Egyptians during a visit to Cairo earlier this month, but the partial suspension of military aid, which covers the delivery of tanks, helicopters and fighter jets, appears to have hurt the interim government’s pride.
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