Putin of Russia meets with the UAE leader, countries promise to double against Trump’s pressure

Dubai, United Arab Emirates-President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed Ben Najan, traveled to Russia for a second visit to the country less than a year to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a permanent connection between the two states.

The trip, according to the State Media, Emirati WAM, focused on the “strategic partnership of the two countries” and on “” ways to increase cooperation, especially in economic, trade, investment, energy and other spheres that serve joint development, except for regional and international issues. “

The UAE is a long -standing close ally of the United States and a major military and intelligence partner. It is also the most important economic partner of Russia in the Middle East – and the trade between them has overcome in recent years, especially since the beginning of the Russian war against Ukraine. Trade Russia-yois jumped on 68% compared to last year In 2022, up to $ 9 billion declared the Russian Ministry of Commerce in February.

Now “trade turnover between Russia and the UAE has reached $ 11.5 billion,” the UAE leader said during talks with Putin on Thursday, Russian state media reports.

Bin Zaed told his Russian colleague: “We would like this indicator to be double both at the bilateral level and with the Eurasian countries over the next five years,” adding that relations between the two countries are “developing at an accelerated pace”.

Russia and the UAE have signed a strategic partnership in 2018, and has since been exchanged numerous visits between their leaders.

Abu Dhabi did not officially take on the side of the Russian Ukrainian war, instead calling for peace and ending the fighting. Instead, he provided a safe shelter for Russian oligarchs and expatriates who escape from sanctions and compulsory conscription. The UAE has about 4,000 Russian enterprises, According to messagesAnd direct foreign investments between them are steadily increasing.

The UAE leader’s visit to Moscow “says the UAE honors its strategic partnership with Russian and will continue to deepen its ties with Russia,” said Anna Borshovskaya, a senior employee of the Washington Institute, focused on Russia’s policy to the Middle East.

“As before, the UAE wants to continue maintaining a diversified foreign policy between Russia, the US and China, not to choose only one.”

The UAE leader’s visit also happens when the White House announced a forthcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and Putin to discuss efforts to cease Ukraine’s fire – and followed Trump announces punitive tariffs on India For imports of Russian oil, which, according to the American leader, is “fueled the military machine”.

Russia’s constant relations with the UAE are a victory, and it is also obvious that they are not asolated as the West as they would be diplomatic and economically, “said Ryan Bol, Senior Analyst of the Middle East and North Africa in Rena.

“The UAE is also a key part of Russia’s efforts to bypass Western sanctions. For (UAE leader) MBZ on the political front, it is a demonstration that it does not depend on Washington, despite the fact that it relies on US security troops,” Bol said, referring to Mohammed bin.

Part of this is related to the role of Abu -Dabi as a mediator between Russia and Western powers. This was facilitated by communication between opponents and the factory transactions of the prisoners between Ukraine and Russia. Since the beginning of the war in February 2022, UAE says that the Emirate’s mediation efforts They saw 4181 captives returned home.

The UAE is also subjected to its mammoth business from the US beyond Just Defense: Abu -Dabi – this is a fast -paced center for and investor in, The largest in America AI and technology companies. Trump is very conditioned Visit to the Gulf region in May Saw a number of major transactions signed in the UAE in different sectors, while Abu -Dabi in March Taken up to 10-year-old, 1.4 trillion investment base In the US

The UAE friendship with Russia “is a source of tension from the US, but is not the main one at this stage, especially under the Trump administration,” said Hussein Ibish, a senior resident of the Gulf in Washington.

“However, since secondary sanctions can start after the termination of Trump’s fire regarding the war of Ukraine … The UAE and Russia want to coordinate any potential response to such secondary sanctions.”

Whether Trump is pressed on Abu -Dobli is what leaders in the UAE and the wide Gulf region are likely to watch closely. But a small, rich Sheikhdo will retain its independence when it comes to its foreign policy, says Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon official and a resident of the American Institute of the enterprise.

“The UAE is no longer interested in being a participant in major coalitions or pressure; it will rely on its policy on a narrow and naked calculation of its own interests and allow others to spend their time and energy on sanctions, compulsion and great competition of electricity,” Rubin CNBC said.

“MBZ will do what is suitable for the UAE and will not put all eggs in American, Chinese or Russian baskets.”