At first glance, the Iran-Israel conflict offers the Kremlin considerable benefits. Oil prices have risen, some weaponry originally intended for Ukraine has been diverted to the Middle East, and Russia’s missile strikes on residential areas in Kyiv have been pushed out of the headlines by news from Tehran and Tel Aviv. However, the Kremlin’s greatest prize so far has been the conversation between Putin and Trump, during which the Russian president offered to mediate in the de-escalation o...
