“In the UN Security Council, China, India and UAE abstain from voting, and Russia vetoes the US resolution submitted to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine.”
My comments:
Definitely, wet can considered that UAE abstained from voting for the following reasons:
1. Russia’s condemnation of the Houthi attack in the depths of the UAE.
2. UN didn’t support the stance of the coalition in Yemen.
3. Russia has influence on Iran, and UAE wants to keep this safe channel to benefit from it in putting pressure on Iran.
4. The good personal relations between Putin and Mohammed bin Zayed also affected.
Looking deeply into the UAE’s unilateral diplomatic stance, away from the GCC countries stance that used to support the West, I see that UAE for the first time shows beside the eastern camp (China and Russia) not in the Western side, which is officially at the highest international level, in the United Nations Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly.
UAE used to be on the side of the Western camp in any such vote, especially in the Syrian crisis, which is the main center of gravity for Russia, and I expect UAE to continue its support for Russia in several other future stances, at least, at the UN.
I see that UAE is monitoring the strategic partnership that is getting stronger day by day between China and Russia, and I believe that UAE will get closer to the two major powers in the near future, in a way that guarantees its security and stability and achieves its strategy in the Middle East region and across other neighboring regions.
I also expect a pro-China Emirati vote (at least abstention in the event of an attempt to condemn China by the US) on various matters in the near future, perhaps matters related to Taiwan or any other issue that the West used to use to condemn China.
I think that UAE has clearly begun to slowly, steadily, and cautiously change the dynamics of its international diplomacy.
UAE shift is not a radical change from the Western camp to the Eastern one, but it’s a sort of strategic balancing of its relations rather than converting its policies or creating enmity against the US.
MG (R). Dr. Sayed Ghoneim
Fellow, Nasser’s Higher Military Academy
Chairman, IGSDA
