MOSCOW // For most of the US presidential election, the issue of Washington-Kremlin relations clearly took a back seat to the Iraq war and Iran's nuclear aspirations, despite the fact that relations between the former Cold War foes continue to deteriorate on several fronts.
That all changed when US ally Georgia tried to retake its breakaway republic of South Ossetia, prompting a crushing military response by Russia, which repelled Georgian forces and pushed into Georgia proper.
Suddenly, John McCain, the Republican candidate, and Barack Obama, his Democratic counterpart, were both pressed to clarify their positions on Russia. In the most recent high-profile example, Tom Brokaw asked the candidates in their Oct 7 debate if Russia, under Vladimir Putin - the powerful prime minister but not head of state - was an "evil empire", as Ronald Regan, the former US president, once described the Soviet Union.
Mr Obama said Russia had engaged in "evil behaviour", while Mr McCain said "maybe".
Neither candidate in the Nov 4 election will be a particularly pleasant partner for Russia, but the Kremlin is more interested in working with an Obama administration rather than with Mr McCain and his often harsh criticism of Russia, according to Russian legislators and political analysts.
"Both candidates are rather bad for Russia," said Sergei Markov, a member of Russia's lower house of parliament and a Kremlin-connected spin-doctor. "McCain is extremely anti-Russian, and Obama is being advised by Mark Brzezinski, son of [the former US national security adviser] Zbigniew Brzezinski, one of the most prominent 'smart' Russophobes."
It was Mr Markov who, after the war between Georgia and Russia broke out, went on Russian national television and said Georgia's attack on South Ossetia was a plan hatched by Dick Cheney, the US vice president, to rally foreign policy hawks and secure Mr McCain's victory.
Mr Putin later echoed the conspiracy theory in an interview with CNN, though he did not identify a specific candidate who could benefit from such a turn of events.
"If my suppositions are confirmed, then there are grounds to suspect that some people in the United States created this conflict deliberately in order to aggravate the situation and created a competitive advantage for one of the candidates for the US presidency," Mr Putin said in the interview.
Mr McCain has repeatedly called to exclude Russia from major international institutions and, as a stock phrase, has said he sees "a K, a G and a B" when he looks into Mr Putin's ideas, as opposed to George W Bush, the US president, who famously said he saw Mr Putin's soul.
Mr Markov called Mr Obama "the lesser of two evils", noting that both candidates backed Georgia in the conflict but that Mr Obama, 47, and Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, 43, are both young, modern leaders who might be able to find some common ground. "I'm sure they grew up reading many of the same books and watched many of the same movies," Mr Markov said.
Mikhail Margelov, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Russia's upper house of parliament, told the Russian online magazine Political Journal that regardless of who wins, the next US president would have to be "practical".
"For Russia, in general, it is not so important who will become the next US president," said Mr Margelov, who attended both the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention this year.
Mr McCain is an "emotional person" who carries the responsibility for the difficult legacy of the Bush administration, Mr Margelov said.
"Obama is more reserved, more focused on pragmatism," Mr Margelov told Political Journal. "In the beginning it will be difficult to work with either one of them."
Key conflict issues between Russia and the United States include the US push for Nato membership for Georgia and Ukraine, which has not been as enthusiastically endorsed by western European members, and US plans to place elements of a missile shield in eastern Europe, which have angered Russia.
Mr Obama has been less vocal than Mr McCain with his support for the planned missile shield, which the United States said was aimed at a possible threat from Iran but which Russia claims is a threat to its own national security.
Meanwhile, the Russian public is largely indifferent to the US presidential election, though those who are following the race would prefer Mr Obama to win, according to a poll released this week by the independent Levada Center. Sixty-four per cent of Russians said they were not following the race at all, 35 per cent said they were paying attention to it, and six per cent said they were watching the race closely, state news agency Interfax cited the poll as saying.
Thirty-five per cent of respondents following the race said they preferred Mr Obama, while 14 per cent backed Mr McCain, according to the poll, which was conducted nationwide from Oct 10 to 14.
Nonetheless, history has shown that Democratic administrations have often taken a tougher line on the Soviet Union and Russia than Republican administrations, said Vladimir Pozner, a journalist and political commentator who frequently appeared on US television during the Cold War to explain the Soviet government's positions to American viewers.
"Generally, in the Soviet Union and in Russia, the leadership found it easier to work with Republicans rather than Democrats, with the exception of Franklin Delano Roosevelt," Mr Pozner said. "They are seen as less ideological than the Democrats, less likely to play the human rights card. Even the most anti-Soviet Republicans, like Richard Nixon and Ronald Regan, turned out to be easier to work with than Jimmy Carter or John F Kennedy."
Mr Markov, however, was adamant: "McCain would be a catastrophe for Russia."
A Russian foreign ministry spokesman was less forthcoming when asked about the relative merits of the US presidential candidates. "Nobody is going to give you a comment like that," he said.
cschreck@thenational.ae
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Rawat Al Reef, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Noof KB, Richard Mullen, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Seven Skies, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qaiss Aboud
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Jabalini, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: UAE Arabian Derby – Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Dergham Athbah, Richard Mullen, Mohamed Daggash
7.30pm: Emirates Championship – Group 1 (PA) Dh1,000,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
8pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Group 3 (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Irish Freedom, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Avatar (2009)
Director: James Cameron
Stars: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver
Rating: 3/5
MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
The low down
Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films
Director: Namrata Singh Gujral
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark
Rating: 2/5
Results
1. Mathieu van der Poel (NED) Alpecin-Fenix - 3:45:47
2. David Dekker (NED) Jumbo-Visma - same time
3. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
4. Emils Liepins (LAT) Trek-Segafredo
5. Elia Viviani (ITA) Cofidis
6. Tadej Pogacar (SLO UAE Team Emirates
7. Anthony Roux (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
8. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:00:03
9. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep
10. Fausto Masnada (ITA) Deceuninck-QuickStep
T20 World Cup Qualifier fixtures
Tuesday, October 29
Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE
Qualifier two, 7.30pm – Namibia v Oman
Wednesday, October 30
Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one
Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two
Thursday, October 31
Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four
Friday, November 1
Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one
Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two
Saturday, November 2
Third-place playoff, 2.10pm
Final, 7.30pm
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Haltia.ai
Started: 2023
Co-founders: Arto Bendiken and Talal Thabet
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: AI
Number of employees: 41
Funding: About $1.7 million
Investors: Self, family and friends
The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Pickford (Everton), Pope (Burnley), Henderson (Manchester United)
Defenders Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Chilwell (Chelsea), Coady (Wolves), Dier (Tottenham), Gomez (Liverpool), James (Chelsea), Keane (Everton), Maguire (Manchester United), Maitland-Niles (Arsenal), Mings (Aston Villa), Saka (Arsenal), Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Walker (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Foden (Manchester City), Henderson (Liverpool), Grealish (Aston Villa), Mount (Chelsea), Rice (West Ham), Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Winks (Tottenham)
Forwards: Abraham (Chelsea), Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Kane (Tottenham), Rashford (Manchester United), Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Sterling (Manchester City)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
MATCH INFO
Karnataka Tuskers 110-5 (10 ovs)
Tharanga 48, Shafiq 34, Rampaul 2-16
Delhi Bulls 91-8 (10 ovs)
Mathews 31, Rimmington 3-28
Karnataka Tuskers win by 19 runs
SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
PFA Team of the Year: David de Gea, Kyle Walker, Jan Vertonghen, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Alonso, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero
THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
HOW TO ACTIVATE THE GEMINI SHORTCUT ON CHROME CANARY
1. Go to chrome://flags
2. Find and enable Expansion pack for the Site Search starter pack
3. Restart Chrome Canary
4. Go to chrome://settings/searchEngines in the address bar and find the Chat with Gemini shortcut under Site Search
5. Open a new tab and type @ to see the Chat with Gemini shortcut along with other Omnibox shortcuts to search tabs, history and bookmarks
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV
Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh282,870
On sale: now
Afro salons
For women:
Sisu Hair Salon, Jumeirah 1, Dubai
Boho Salon, Al Barsha South, Dubai
Moonlight, Al Falah Street, Abu Dhabi
For men:
MK Barbershop, Dar Al Wasl Mall, Dubai
Regency Saloon, Al Zahiyah, Abu Dhabi
Uptown Barbershop, Al Nasseriya, Sharjah
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
Specs: 2024 McLaren Artura Spider
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 and electric motor
Max power: 700hp at 7,500rpm
Max torque: 720Nm at 2,250rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
0-100km/h: 3.0sec
Top speed: 330kph
Price: From Dh1.14 million ($311,000)
On sale: Now
THE STRANGERS' CASE
Director: Brandt Andersen
Starring: Omar Sy, Jason Beghe, Angeliki Papoulia
Rating: 4/5