The club of heads of state willing to play a mediating role in the war in Ukraine has one more member. On Tuesday, October 11, the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mohammed Bin Zayed, tried his hand at this particularly arduous task during his meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Saint Petersburg.
“We discussed several issues of common concern, including the crisis in Ukraine, and the importance of opening dialogue, to reduce tensions and reach a diplomatic solution”, the Gulf petromonarch said on Twitter. The day before, the Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs had stressed that the trip to Russia of “MBZ”, as he is nicknamed on the international scene, was aimed at “reducing military escalation, reducing humanitarian repercussions and reaching a political settlement”.
In doing so, the UAE President joins a close circle, which includes the French Head of State, Emmanuel Macron, his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Emir of Qatar, Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, and even, fleetingly , award-winning former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. So many officials who have offered their good offices to the belligerents, at various times during the crisis, with greater or lesser involvement, but perhaps without results for the moment.
“Strategic Diversification”
“I cannot predict Putin’s reaction, but, given the very good relations that MBZ has with him, if there is today a leader likely to be listened to by the master of the Kremlin, it is not not Macron, it’s MBZ and no one else”assures the Emirati political scientist Abdelkhaleq Abdullah, faithful relay of the foreign policy of the UAE.
This process, which occurs about ten days after the annexation by Moscow of four occupied Ukrainian regions, a move condemned by all major Western capitals, testifies to the growing diplomatic empowerment of the UAE. While the US administration is focused on supporting the Ukrainian armed forces and on the diplomatic isolation of Vladimir Putin, Abu Dhabi, a historic ally of Washington, is taking an initiative that risks being perceived in the United States as an outstretched hand to the Russian President.
“It is the hallmark of the strategic diversification undertaken by the UAE, emphasizes Cinzia Bianco, Gulf specialist at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) analysis centre. The Emiratis, like the Saudis, oppose the current bipolarization of the international scene. In the Ukrainian crisis, they refuse to choose sides. »
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