Go America Go!: Putin Supports Egyptian Military Chief's Presidential Bid - Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Visits Moscow Seeking Deeper Military Ties

From The Wall Street Journal:

Field Marshal Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, Egypt's top military commander, got his first explicit international support to run for president with an endorsement from an old Cold War ally: Russia.

President Vladimir Putin's backing on Thursday gives the military leader a measure of international legitimacy ahead of Egypt's presidential vote in the coming months. Field Marshal Sisi led the ouster of Egypt's first freely elected president in July, which led to strained ties between Cairo and Washington.

The Egyptian commander visited Moscow on Thursday to seek deeper military cooperation between the two countries, in his first overseas trip since coming to power.

The meeting followed high-level talks between military officials and foreign ministers of both countries, and came amid Russian and Egyptian media reports that the countries are nearing an arms deal.

The former Soviet Union was a vital ally for Egypt and other Arab countries in the 1950s and 1960s, when they fought U.S.-backed Israel in a succession of Middle East wars. Egypt's then-President Gamal Abdel Nasser enjoyed staunch support from the Soviets for his fiercely nationalist policies that challenged America's role in the region.