Egypt has decided “nationalist pragmatism” requires it to “support Russia’s gambit in Syria despite war crimes accusations coming from key European powers,” writes Raghida Dergham for the Huffington Post. Egyptian leadership sees becoming the “fourth pole” in the Russia-Iran-Syrian regime axis as serving its best interest, she writes, which is critical especially as GCC neighbours rushed with aid to maintain Arab stability. Similarly, Germany is turning a blind eye to Russian-Iranian violations, seeing itself as the nexus of Western-Russian / Iranian relations. But unlike Cairo, Germany plays a leading role in in influencing US-Russian relations from a strategic standpoint, while Egypt is riding on the coattails of these relations having judged them to be proceeding along a path favorable to Cairo.

The same issue is also making headlines in the right-leading Washington Times, which writes, “U.S. commanders in the Mideast are keeping a wary eye on the burgeoning military relationship between Egypt and Russia, which could further expand Moscow’s growing influence in the region.

Also making headlines in the international press this morning:

• Private intelligence outfit IHS Jane’s 360 (paywall) looks at the NGO law passed by Parliament, writing that the measure “opens space for Muslim Brotherhood reconciliation while restricting civil society.” We can’t say we share the concern that reconciliation with the Ikhwan is about to happen.

• What explains our obsession with Ancient Egypt? — The New York Times reviews Ronald H. Fritze’s Egyptomania: A History of Fascination, Obsession and Fantasy.
• Mummified knees are Queen Nefertari’s, archaeologists conclude, writes the Guardian, saying that “a pair of mummified knees found in a tomb in Egypt’s Valley of the Queens are most likely those of the royal spouse of Pharaoh Ramses II.”
• Gaza officials are blaming Egypt for the flooding of smuggling tunnel across the border at Rafah that killed four, Israeli media report.