Putin Meets With UAE President

Facts

• Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin hailed his country's relationship with the United Arab Emirates during a meeting with Pres. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ) on Tuesday, calling it "an important factor of stability" in the region and the world.
• During his reception in St. Petersburg, MBZ highlighted the importance of finding political solutions to crises, adding a call to resolve the Ukraine crisis through dialogue, negotiation, and diplomacy.
• The visit comes less than a week after the Saudi-led OPEC+ oil cartel, which includes Russia and the UAE, agreed to make steep cuts in oil production despite US pressure. The cut in supply is also expected to be a blow to Democrats in next month's midterm elections.
• The UAE has maintained close economic ties with Russia and refrained from joining the sanctions imposed on Putin by the West throughout the war in Ukraine.
• Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic advisor to MBZ, said the meeting between the two leaders was pre-scheduled within the framework of bilateral relations, adding that the war in Ukraine requires an urgent solution.

Sources: Al Jazeera, khaleejtimes, Reuters, and Arab News.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by AML. Since Putin first invaded Ukraine, the US and EU have warned the UAE about the consequences of siding with Russia. With Russian oligarchs fleeing to do business in the UAE to avoid Western sanctions, the inevitable consequences for MBZ will be his country ultimately ending up on the same blacklist as Putin's.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by NUAE. Dialogue and diplomatic mechanisms are the only viable route to international peace and security. By remaining neutral, the UAE is in a unique position to potentially negotiate an end to the war with Russia. Luckily, MBZ remains unfazed by the political pressure placed on it by the US and other Western nations since the war began.