Yemen’s opposition has yet to prove itself as a valid ruling force if it succeeds in ousting President Ali Abdullah Saleh from power. Alexei Sarabyev, research fellow at the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Eastern Studies, explains how Saleh has been instrumental in maintaining unity in Yemen, despite his shortcomings, and says that Russia’s stance on the matter is a key factor influencing possible foreign intervention.