Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is sending shock waves around the world. The effect of those will be felt clearly in the Middle East.

High food prices helped trigger the Arab Spring over a decade ago. On the futures market, food prices are rising at their fastest rate in 60 years, for good reason. Russia and Ukraine produce one quarter of the world’s wheat. Much of that will be wiped out or hard to export due to the war in Ukraine. Egypt’s government maintains stability by handing out heavily subsidized bread. If high prices are sustained, the whole country is at risk.

But the Middle East isn’t just becoming more unstable—it’s also becoming more important.

Europe is looking for an alternative energy supplier. That process is not moving quickly enough to help Ukraine. In 2020, European nations bought one quarter of their oil from Russia and 40 percent of their gas. But buying less from Russia means buying more from somewhere else. In the United States, the Biden administration is hamstringing American attempts to produce more. The Middle East and North Africa comprise the obvious region for Europe to turn to.

German Economics Minister Robert Habeck visited Qatar on Sunday, March 20, then the United Arab Emirates the next day. “The war in Ukraine has been raging for more than three weeks now, and Habeck is on a kind of shopping spree,” wrote Der Spiegel. He agreed to plans for Qatar to sell Germany liquefied natural gas (lng).

But Germany isn’t the only country on a shopping spree. In January, as tensions rose in Ukraine, Poland and Saudi Arabia took important steps toward cooperation. State oil company Saudi Aramco began buying a 30 percent stake in an oil refinery in Gdansk. It also agreed to sell Poland around 300,000 barrels per day. Reuters calculated that the deal could see Saudi Arabia providing 50 percent to 70 percent of Poland’s oil needs, dramatically cutting Poland’s dependence on Russia. It also puts Saudi Arabia in prime position to boost exports to all Poland’s neighbors.

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio has also visited Qatar. French President Emmanuel Macron called Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, asking for more oil.

In the long run, North Africa could prove an even stronger focus. Algeria is already connected to the European gas network, while gas from the Middle East has to go through an expensive process to be converted to lng.

There are plans in the works to improve that gas network. Algeria, Niger and Nigeria are working on a Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline. The 2,500-mile-long pipeline would cost $21 billion.

Radical Islam is a growing menace in the region. If Europe wants these grand pipeline plans to succeed, it will need to fight to stabilize the area.

This is yet another way Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is advancing Bible prophecy. We’ve had a lot to say over the years about Europe becoming more involved in the Middle East.

“Northern Africa is turning into a battleground with enormously important prophetic implications,” wrote Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry in his 2014 article “Watch Algeria!” He talked about the inroads radical Islam, led by Iran, was making in the region.

“But Iran isn’t the only one interested in Africa,” he continued. “Germany is making strong inroads as well. Both of these powers are racing to get as much control of North Africa as they can. They will inevitably clash with each other.”

Daniel 11:40-45 describe an epic clash between Iran-led radical Islam and a European power, led by Germany. The countries mentioned—Egypt, Libya, etc—stretch across the Middle East and North Africa.

Iran is rising, with a new nuclear deal on the brink of being signed. With Europe becoming more involved in the region, watch for this clash to build. To learn more, read our free booklet The King of the South.