Quote Originally Posted by Dayuhan View Post
Direct, no. Potential, possibly. Perceived, depends on who's doing the perceiving.

What exactly are you afraid that the Russians are going to do?

Still waiting for some specifics on how exactly the Russians have "scooped up all our former allies", who they have sponsored in the Middle East and Africa, and what this alleged deal with Saudi Arabia is.
Dayuhan---here is a partial answer which goes along way in supporting what I am saying.

By the way today via Interfax one of the most influential advisors to Putin called for a "no fly zone" which would be implemented by Russia over eastern Ukraine. Now check what the Phase Five is of the new Russian UW strategy called "New Generation Warfare". It also mentions using a "no fly zone" again assumed to be implemented one sided by Russia.

Are these enough current examples to get you to look at ongoing political events, actors and their actions in another light?

The reference to the private Saudi and Russian oil conversations is also pointed to. DID you by any chance see anything mentioned about this in any of the western media?--I did not.

After years of looking to the West for their defense contracts, Arab states such as Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states are showing a willingness to diversify economic alliances.

Saudi Arabia has secretly offered Russia a sweeping deal to control the global oil market and safeguard Russia’s gas contracts if the Kremlin backs away from the Assad regime in Syria.11 This is based on the Saudis understanding of Russia’s interest in Eastern Mediterranean oil and gas resources. This move would change the strategic landscape by threatening the world’s fragile economic recovery, and would negatively affect the United States, as its influence in the region would continue to decline.

It appears even the Egyptians are sensing a resurgence of Russian presence in the Middle East, especially after the U.S. decided to curtail aid in the wake of the military ouster of elected President Mohammed Morsi. The Kremlin viewed the strained relationship between the U.S. and Egypt as an opportunity to forge new ties with old friends. Although, the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Abdelk Atty, tried to play down a meeting between the governments by providing a conciliatory and well-crafted statement: “this will not come at the expense of the relationship with the United States.”

Reference the KSA comment:
11. S. Energy Information Administration, This Week in Petroleum, May 25, 2011

Russia is doing investment and arms deals now with Egypt, is providing a constant stream of weapons and oil shipments via Iran into Syria, and is talking with Algeria as well on arms deals and talking with Saudia Arabia about common gas investments.