This made analysts believe that Russia was attempting to fill the gap which America had created from its criticism of the referendum.

[8] Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani in June 2017 and in May 2018.

[9][10] According to Kurdish officials, the Russian investments worth billions of dollars in the 2010s, prevented the Kurds from going bankrupt as a large portion of their budget went to the fight against ISIL.

During his exile, he received an education and also established close ties to the KGB and the Soviet Army which generated the belief among Americans that he was a Russian agent.

As Barzani returned from his trip to Russia, he began strengthening his grip on Kurdistan and defeated the Pro-Iraq Kurdish tribes.

[14] As Iraqi-Kurdish relations deteriorated, the Soviet support for the Kurds was delicate since Iraqi General Qasim was leaning towards communism and any antagonizing move would tilt Iraq towards the United States.

Russia became one of the first countries to open a representation in Kurdistan Region which was inaugurated in 2007, however relations remained unexploited due to fear of Turkish antagonism.