Russia's Hamas gambit

After 9/11, Russia also allowed its allies in former Soviet Central Asia to host US military bases as part of the war on terror, though Moscow has since cooled to American presence in the region.

Cooperation has brought its rewards. At the beginning of this year Russia assumed the chairmanship of the Group of Eight (G-8) rich democracies, and is set to host the group's July summit in St. Petersburg. But relations with the West have grown strained over Russia's strong-armed foreign policy, such as its January gas blockade of neighboring Ukraine, and its growing authoritarianism at home.

A British think tank, the Foreign Policy Center, last week published a "G-8 Scorecard" that gave Russia failing marks in a dozen areas, including openness, free speech, transparent governance, rule of law, and civil society.

"We are very concerned, particularly about some elements of democratization that seem to be going in the wrong direction," US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said last week. "I think the question is open as to where Russia's future development is going."

The challenge for Putin, who has staked his reputation on restoring Russia's great power status, is to wield Moscow's Soviet-era influence with "rogue" regimes and revolutionary movements in ways that do not further antagonize the West, experts say.

The USSR was a key supporter of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) - the group responsible for negotiating with Israel, run largely by officials from Hamas rival Fatah - and Russia remains a strong advocate of creating a Palestinian state.

"We are working together with the Quartet [Russia, US, EU, and UN], but the insistence of some countries that one cannot talk to Hamas until it renounces violence and recognizes Israel is stalling the process," says Nikolai Tikhomirov, dean of the official Diplomatic Academy, which trains Russian diplomats. "Russia's goal is also to convince Hamas to take those steps, but first we believe it necessary to start the dialogue. Time is wasting."

In a similar diplomatic offensive, Moscow is attempting to mediate over Iran's alleged drive for nuclear weapons by offering a compromise that would see Iranian uranium enrichment take place under Russian supervision. As negotiations on that plan got under way Monday in Moscow. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Russian expectations "reserved."

Russia's success in either diplomatic attempt could boost its standing in the world and also ease the growing tensions within its 20-million-strong Muslim community.

"By these means we show that Russia does not oppose Islam, that it's working for peace." says Mr. Suslov. "But there is a big risk here, that by providing greater legitimacy for Islamists, Russia could invite greater instability in the Middle East and at home."

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