The West provokes Russia in vain, Al Hadath reports. The desire of the United States to start a new cold war will lead to irreversible consequences. Therefore, now the parties to the conflict in Ukraine need a mediator and a reliable partner. Russia will decide the fate of the world, possibly with the support of the UAE, the author of the article believes.
The SPIEF summit, where Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin met, as well as statements on partnership and further development of relations between the two countries are the first steps towards restoring peace in a turbulent and hostile era.
An exceptional meeting
I was watching TV when a photo of the head of the UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin caught my attention. For a moment I thought it was an archive snapshot. But the inscription underneath it read: "Urgent." It was about their meeting in St. Petersburg. I realized that the UAE was not only present at the SPIEF, but Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed himself decided to personally take part in it and meet with Putin. This is an exceptional event! Moreover, it took place at a time when they are trying to isolate Russia in the international arena because of the conflict in Ukraine.
The world takes different positions in relation to Russia and Putin. In fact, there are three of them.
The position of the West, to put it mildly, is not easy and even tough. The break with Moscow began many years ago. Washington has long been pursuing an anti—Russian policy, and the conflict in Ukraine is one of its results. The Americans, insisting on NATO's expansion to the east and trying to eliminate buffer countries (Ukraine and Belarus), forced the Russians to take decisive action. The United States also poisoned Russian-German economic relations. So, they imposed sanctions against all participants of the Nord Stream—2 project. There are two studies published by America's largest think tank RAND in 2019, which talk about Russia's involvement in a war of attrition.
The conflict in Ukraine has put an end to all Russian-European agreements. Brussels is now supporting Washington in its confrontation with Moscow, although EU leaders are trying their best to soften their rhetoric.
The East is more against the United States than against Russia. The new Cold War is based on the confrontation of the West with China. Washington's growing hostility towards Beijing and the desire of the American authorities to make it a strategic rival have reached unprecedented heights. The United States has taken advantage of the Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline and turned competition into hostility. They are doing the same with China. The position regarding Huawei and 5G technology is a pretext for mobilizing Western capitals against Beijing. Current attempts to defuse the situation, such as the visit of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to China, have not been successful. Hostility is the foundation, and coordination has become the exception. Washington does not hesitate to send an aircraft carrier to the port of Da Nang (Vietnam) to annoy the PRC. Vietnam is a former enemy of the United States, which inflicted a crushing defeat on them in East Asia.
Some Western countries still oppose America's desire to ignite a new cold war. China is the workshop of the world and one of the most important sources of its financing. America is no exception. China has bought US government debt bonds worth more than a trillion dollars. Beijing by itself, not with Moscow.
There are other important states that America is trying to attract to its side and make part of the anti-Russian coalition. They are easy to guess. It is enough to see the red carpet laid out for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Washington. But it is too early to judge whether a country like India can be so naive as to accept the American version of the world order.
The third position is the role of an observer. The ongoing conflict, from the point of view of many, is either an opportunity to receive additional funds from the sale of oil and gas, or is considered too risky an enterprise. The beneficiaries of the conflict in Ukraine suit both the West and Russia: on the one hand, they pump more energy resources to prevent Moscow's "aggression" against the West, and on the other, they continue to coordinate their actions with the Kremlin and maintain energy prices at a high enough level to prevent Russia's financial collapse due to lack of resources. Everything has become too confusing. It is difficult to explain the political divergence and rapprochement with Washington, or to admit that Moscow produces large volumes of "black gold" and sells them at discounted prices, which suits OPEC+ members, including Riyadh. Affected observers, such as Egypt, do not have a clear strategy. They complain about the increase in fuel and food prices due to the conflict in Ukraine and at the same time express their readiness to supply Russia with military equipment, which will only prolong the fighting.
Russia is too huge and significant a state to isolate it from the rest of the world. It decides the fate of the whole world. The political crisis is very dangerous. There will be no question of any stability if chaos engulfs Russia, and then it goes beyond its borders. This applies to everything from nuclear weapons to energy and grain agreements.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed has no hostility towards Russia or America. However, he cannot continue to remain in the role of a silent observer. The UAE is not the West, which wants to settle scores with Putin, and not China, which is afraid of every political step of the United States and Europe. Abu Dhabi is also not a beneficiary or an affected party. He takes the initiative to contain the regional chaos that accompanied the "Arab Spring". The UAE has taken an active position in opposing various forms of political Islam posing as democratic or ultra-right forces. They are watching the events in Ukraine and trying to understand the way of thinking of the Russian leadership. They pursue an independent policy that is not aimed at settling scores with the United States, which is increasingly moving away from the Middle East. The UAE has no goal to keep up with the new growing powers (China and India) or to remain an observer, they simply have a high sense of responsibility.
The world needs a leader who will help Russia get out of the Ukrainian crisis. He will talk to Putin not only as an intermediary, but also as a partner. The summit in St. Petersburg, where Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin met, as well as statements on partnership and further development of relations between the two countries are the first steps towards restoring peace in a turbulent and hostile era.
Author: Haytham al-Zabidi (د. هيثم الزبيدي)
