Relationship dossier
Lebanon
Russia
Relationship assessment
Pragmatic ties include military cooperation and humanitarian assistance, alongside friction over Lebanon’s condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Lebanon toward Russia
0Lebanon signed a military-cooperation agreement with Russia in 2018. In 2022, the Lebanese foreign ministry condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, drawing criticism from Moscow.
Russia toward Lebanon
+15Russia signed a military-cooperation agreement with Lebanon in 2018 and provided humanitarian assistance after the 2020 Beirut port explosion. Russia criticized Lebanon’s 2022 condemnation of its invasion of Ukraine.
Overall relationship
+10The relationship combines formal military cooperation and Russian humanitarian assistance with a notable political dispute over Lebanon’s condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine. The agreement and aid indicate practical engagement, but the extent and durability of cooperation are unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Lebanon and Russia maintain pragmatic relations, including a military-cooperation agreement signed in 2018 and Russian humanitarian assistance after the 2020 Beirut port explosion. Relations have also faced friction: Lebanon condemned Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, prompting Russian criticism. The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation are unclear.
Areas of tension
- Lebanon’s 2022 condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Russia’s ensuing criticism.
Key developments
Lebanon and Russia signed a military-cooperation agreement.
Russia provided humanitarian assistance to Lebanon following the Beirut port explosion.
Lebanon condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, prompting Russian criticism.
Major uncertainties
- The implementation and practical scope of the 2018 military-cooperation agreement are unclear.
- The extent of ongoing bilateral cooperation beyond humanitarian assistance is uncertain.