“By selecting to go to the Islamic Republic, an enemy of the US, and reviving the so-called Astana format, during which Turkey, Russia and Iran divided up Syria [held in 2015 and named after the then named capital of Kazakhstan], Putin is sending a transparent message to the West and Washington particularly. He desires to indicate that the sanctions haven’t remoted Russia however have really strengthened its ties with the East, China, India and even Iran. … At the identical time he’s looking out for brand spanking new enterprise companions, after admitting that the sanctions within the high-tech sector have induced ‘colossal difficulties’.”