Is the Middle East moving from hedging to a more transactional foreign policy?
CGTN
Are some Middle Eastern countries starting to abandon hedging as a foreign policy strategy in favor of more transactional behavior? If so, then this could mark a departure and poses questions about the future of the region's international relations.
Hedging is an approach that involves diversifying relations and spreading risks while avoiding difficult relations with any side. It is an approach that is built with an eye to the future.
By contrast, a transactional foreign policy is more immediate and functional in scope. It is more concerned with generating mutually beneficial outcomes right now.
Among the governments that seem to be doing this are those that have historically been close to the United States. Countries like Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey have all taken paths that deviate from Washington's. Moreover, they all seem to be taking a similar path at the same time.
What makes these countries' current behavior notable is that it is happening against the wider backdrop of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Regional governments are being asked to pick a side by their American ally and partner, and the results have not gone according to Washington's wishes.
