Russia Negotiates from Strength
Why Has the Muslim World Failed to Do So?
Russia, a nation the West sought to cripple with sanctions and diplomatic isolation, is now dictating the terms of global power negotiations. It was meant to be broken by the war in Ukraine, exhausted by economic warfare, and left scrambling for relevance in a world dominated by Western financial and military hegemony. But today, it is the United States that finds itself struggling for leverage, while Russia holds firm, undeterred and emboldened.
Sanctions failed. Russia adapted. The ruble, once predicted to collapse, is thriving in new trade networks, particularly with China and the BRICS bloc. The energy sector, which the European Union tried to wean itself off from, remains indispensable to global markets, rerouting supplies eastward while forcing Western buyers into backdoor deals. Russian arms, long feared on the battlefield, continue to prove effective, outpacing NATO's ability to replenish Ukraine’s exhausted war machine. The more the West pushes, the stronger Russia becomes.
Meanwhile, across the Muslim world—a vast, resource-rich expanse stretching from the Maghreb to Southeast Asia—a different story unfolds. Here lies immense natural wealth, a population of nearly two billion, and geopolitical significance that should make these nations the architects of their own futures. Yet, in every major global negotiation, they remain tethered to Western directives, unable or unwilling to exercise true independence.
Why is it that Russia, a nation with fewer resources than the collective Muslim world, can defy Western hegemony, while the Muslim world, sitting atop unimaginable riches, remains subservient to the very powers that exploit its wealth?
The Russian Blueprint
Russia’s success is no accident. It is a result of strategic vision, economic sovereignty, and military independence. When the United States and Europe launched their sanctions campaign, Moscow wasted no time in accelerating its pivot away from the dollar. It began trading energy in rubles and yuan, deepened economic ties with China, and solidified its role within BRICS, the economic bloc that now includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, and Egypt. With BRICS accounting for a significant share of global GDP, Western financial tools—such as dollar-based trade restrictions—have lost much of their effectiveness.
Russia also controls its own military-industrial complex. It does not rely on Washington, London, or Paris for fighter jets, missile defense systems, or strategic weapons. It manufactures its own hypersonic missiles, tanks, and nuclear deterrents, ensuring that no external power can dictate its military readiness. It is this self-sufficiency that allows Moscow to pursue its geopolitical objectives without fear of an arms embargo or foreign intervention.
Most crucially, Russia understands the power of resource leverage. Oil and gas are not just economic assets; they are geopolitical weapons. When Europe tried to cut itself off from Russian energy, it was Europe—not Russia—that suffered the harshest consequences. Energy prices soared, economies strained under inflation, and Russian oil found eager buyers elsewhere. In every negotiation, Russia operates from a position of strength.
The Muslim World’s Failure to Leverage Its Power
The Muslim world, despite being infinitely richer in natural resources, has yet to take the same approach. The Middle East alone controls over 50 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves and nearly 40 percent of its natural gas. It holds the keys to the very energy markets that sustain the West’s economic dominance. And yet, instead of using this advantage as leverage, most Muslim-majority states remain locked into the petrodollar system, conducting trade in a currency that reinforces U.S. financial supremacy.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar could unilaterally demand that oil sales be conducted in gold, yuan, or a regional currency, instantly undermining the dollar’s stranglehold on global markets. But they don’t. Instead, they park their oil profits in Western banks, invest in European luxury projects, and purchase U.S. treasuries—effectively financing their own subservience.
Turkey, Pakistan, and Egypt, all nations of strategic significance, remain dependent on Western-controlled financial institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank. Every economic crisis is met not with internal restructuring, but with desperate pleas for debt relief from Washington-led entities that impose humiliating conditions. The result is a cycle of dependence—one that ensures these nations cannot act independently without fearing economic repercussions.
The Muslim world also lacks military independence. Unlike Russia, which manufactures its own arsenal, the vast majority of Muslim states rely on Western arms suppliers. Saudi Arabia may have one of the most expensive militaries in the world, but its weapons systems are American-made, meaning Washington ultimately controls their functionality. Pakistan, despite its nuclear arsenal, still imports key military technology from the West. Turkey, one of the few nations attempting to build an independent defense sector, still faces supply chain vulnerabilities that limit its ability to act freely.
The result is a geopolitical paradox: A region that holds the world’s most valuable resources is unable to use them strategically, because its economic and military policies are still dictated by Western interests.
Learning from Russia: The Path to Sovereignty
If the Muslim world wants to escape its geopolitical stagnation, it must adopt the same playbook that Russia has successfully deployed.
First, it must de-dollarize its economies. There is no logical reason for energy-rich nations to continue pricing oil in U.S. dollars when viable alternatives exist. BRICS, which now includes major Muslim economies, offers an opportunity to establish a new financial system that bypasses Western control.
Second, Muslim nations must invest in military self-reliance. Relying on American, British, or French weaponry only ensures that Washington will always have the final say in national security decisions. Joint military ventures between Turkey, Pakistan, and Gulf states could lay the foundation for an independent arms industry that eliminates the need for Western defense contracts.
Third, energy must be treated not just as an economic asset, but as a strategic tool. The West does not see oil and gas as mere commodities—it sees them as weapons of influence. Russia has understood this, using its energy dominance to dictate terms. The Muslim world, with its far larger reserves, must do the same. A unified energy policy that prioritizes geopolitical leverage over Western market stability would radically shift the global power balance.
Finally, the Muslim world must shed its fear of Western retaliation. Russia has faced the full force of U.S. sanctions, yet it has adapted and thrived. The idea that breaking free from Western economic structures is impossible has been proven false. The only thing preventing Muslim-majority nations from asserting their power is a lack of political will.
The Future is Multipolar—Will the Muslim World Seize It?
The era of Western unipolar dominance is fading. The global order is shifting towards multipolarity, where economic and military power is more evenly distributed among rising states. Russia has embraced this reality and positioned itself as a dominant force. China, despite its economic slowdown, continues to expand its influence. Even Latin America and Africa are finding ways to assert their sovereignty.
But the Muslim world remains stuck in the past. It has all the tools to be a global superpower, yet it continues to outsource its security, economy, and diplomacy to Washington and Brussels.
The question is no longer whether the Muslim world has the power to negotiate from a position of strength. It does. The question is whether it will choose to use it—or whether it will remain trapped in a cycle of dependence while other nations dictate the future.
Russia has shown what is possible. The Muslim world must decide if it is ready to follow.