For years, Putin's Russia has presented itself as a power protecting rogue states and countries of the former Soviet Union. In 2002, she even founded an organization similar to NATO. But when worst comes to worst, it's not just Russian weapons that fail – Russia's “strong man” in charge, Vladimir Putin, resorts to platitudes rather than coming to the aid of his supposed allies.
Russia's series of broken promises of help shows that in relation to its partners, Russia is not a superpower, but at best a paper tiger.
Armenia
In 2020, neighboring Azerbaijan attacked the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which had been effectively under Armenia's control since the 1990s. The Armenian authorities turned to Russia for help, citing aid obligations contained in the “Collective Security Treaty Organization” (ODKB), founded by Putin in 2002, which is considered the equivalent of NATO.
However, apart from warm words, Russia did nothing to help its “closest ally in the region.” Within 12 days, Azerbaijan, which had previously acquired kamikaze drones from Israel, won a crushing victory. As a result, Armenia suspended its membership in the ODKB.
The article continues below the video
Syria
In 2024, Syrian rebels, supported by Turkish special services, launched a major offensive against the army of the ruling Bashar al-Assad. Although the Syrian army outnumbered the rebels many times over, the country's military was defeated within days.
Assad called on his supposed protectors for help, but they only offered the dictator asylum — on the condition that he take all his wealth with him to Moscow. Although Russia – as in Armenia – had a military base and stationed soldiers there, they did not take any action to help their “ally”.
Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-AssadKremlin Press Office / Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images / Contributor / Getty Images
Iran
In 2025, Israel attacked Iran's missile and nuclear programs. Although Russia and Iran have had numerous cooperation agreements and Iran's armed forces largely use Russian weapons, Putin has again taken no action to support his partner.
Even though Russia has relied heavily on Iran's Shahid kamikaze drones and even Iranian ballistic missiles in its war with Ukraine since 2022, the military partnership has not paid off for the mullahs.
Venezuela
The latest example of Russia's betrayal of its supposed “allies” is Putin's behavior during and after the US attack on Venezuela. Russia has sold dozens of combat aircraft and many anti-aircraft systems to dictator Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez, and just a few weeks ago had a military delegation to the country. However, on the night of the American attack, the ruler of the Kremlin pretended to be blind, deaf and mute.
Since Maduro's overthrow and arrest, the Russian despot has not uttered a single word of condemnation, leaving the comment to his Foreign Minister Lavrov. Not to mention military aid for the “most important partner” in South America.
Time and time again, it turns out that Russia's supposed only advantage – its military power as a deterrent to the enemies of its despotic allies – exists only on paper.
Militarily bound (and overburdened) by the situation in Ukraine, the 21st century Kremlin is not keeping any of its promises regarding military assistance and is abandoning one ally after another – regardless of whether the adversary is a neighboring country, the United States, or poorly armed rebels.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
