Today’s news that Somali pirates have hijacked a Saudi Arabian oil tanker, carrying one quarter of the OPEC nation’s daily production (valued at $100 million), may result in increased cooperation on security of oil shipments between the Saudi and Russian government.  The Kremlin recently pledged to increase its military presence in the Gulf of Aden following the high-profile hijacking of a Ukrainian arms shipment and inference with other Russian freighters, and, just this weekend, the Russian Navy was successful in scaring off an attempted hijacking by pirates of another Saudi vessel.  Surely the royal family will be grateful.

But seeing Russia develop closer and closer relations with Saudi Arabia as the savior of the high seas shouldn’t be too alarming – this is a relationship (and wider regional policy) that the Kremlin has been quietly and successfully developing for several years now, extending into many areas beyond just the energy and political spheres.