President in the land of sheikhs
If anyone in Abu Dhabi did not know about Vladimir Putin's visit in advance, then after noon there were no ignorant people left. Traces of the tricolor, which painted the sky over the emirate in honor of the arrival of the Russian leader, were visible even from the most distant beaches. The path to the UAE turned out to be difficult: Air Force One had to be escorted by fighters with “standard weapons of various classes.” But having set foot on hospitable Arab soil, the president could completely relax: on the way from the airport to the Qasr al Watan palace, his motorcade was guarded not only by the security service, but also by horsemen with sabers and guns.
When Putin's Aurus drove into the carved gates of the residence, artillery salvos rang out, drums beat, the guards shouted — It became not only colorful, but also loud. Vladimir Putin appreciated this reception. «Very beautiful!» — he said to Al Nahyan who came out on the threshold. And to the question: “How are you feeling?” — answered with enthusiasm: “It was good, but it got even better!”
Members of the Russian delegation had already lined up in a long line to greet the president. Putin shook hands with some and nodded his head at others. But the one who was most happy (and even hugged) was Ramzan Kadyrov, who, naturally, could not miss his visit to the UAE. Since Arab sheikhs do not require foreign guests to adhere to a strict dress code, Elvira Nabiullina, who was part of the delegation, did not have to put much effort into choosing her wardrobe. The head of the Central Bank came to the negotiations in a long skirt and a blue jacket, but still without the brooch, which she stopped wearing since the beginning of the Central Bank. Shortly before the visit, it became known that UAE banks had tightened control over the accounts of Russian companies due to increased pressure from the United States, insisting on compliance with international sanctions. Russians began to be required to provide more documents to open accounts, and some banks that previously accepted transactions from Russia stopped doing so. However, the Russian delegation apparently has ideas in this regard: during the greeting, Putin looked expressively at the head of the Central Bank and made some mysterious signs to her.
However, little is known about the content of the negotiations. During the protocol part, the presidents traditionally limited themselves to mutual compliments and general words. But questions and problems (and this is not limited to banks; recently, several companies from the UAE came under sanctions for transporting Russian oil at a price above the “ceiling”) were left for a closed format. Al Nahyan called Vladimir Putin a “dear friend” and said he was “happy” to see him again. (Recall that the presidents already met this year within the framework of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum. In Abu Dhabi, Al Nahyan’s visit to the Russian Federation was then called a “conscious risk.”) The Russian leader, in turn, said that thanks to the personal position of the sheikh, relations between the two countries improved to an «unprecedented high». “The United Arab Emirates is Russia’s main trading partner in the Arab world,” Putin emphasized. In 2022, trade turnover between the countries, according to him, increased by 67.7%, and this year it will be even more.
Putin put industrial cooperation in first place. As you know, in November the production of Auruses was launched in Abu Dhabi: it is believed that Arab sheikhs will appreciate the car “like the Russian president’s”, prices for which in the Russian Federation itself start at 40 million rubles. The head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, who was also part of the delegation, told reporters that the Aurus would be popular with both civil servants and private individuals. And in the future, it is planned to make the UAE a hub for the supply of Russian limousines to other countries in the Middle East, where they are expected to successfully compete with American, European and Japanese brands.
However, the negotiations discussed not only economics, but also politics. Vladimir Putin promised to inform his colleague “about the situation in the Ukrainian crisis” and “to discuss the Arab-Palestinian-Israeli conflict.” The last definition sounded quite unexpected. Previously, Israel's war with Hamas was called the Middle East or Palestinian-Israeli conflict. However, Putin, with his phrase, clearly hinted that, in his opinion, the circle of participants in the confrontation is much wider and includes some Arab countries that are not directly named. However, the UAE is clearly not one of them: the sheikhs never liked Hamas, maintained good relations with Israel, and after the outbreak of a full-scale war they declared that they were shocked by the hostage taking.
Despite the wide range of issues, the negotiations in Qasr al Watan did not last long. And the entire visit of the Russian leader to the UAE was completed in 4 hours: when the sun painted Abu Dhabi with sunset rays, Vladimir Putin returned to the airport to continue his mini-tour. 1.5 hours after takeoff, his plane (still accompanied by fighters) landed at the next point — Riyadh. Here, the Russian president was expected to have the same short-term and, as the Kremlin assures, intense negotiations with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The main theme is well known — oil and everything that happens around it. Although Vladimir Putin said that he is in a great mood (and for good reason), the Russian authorities cannot help but be concerned about the ongoing decline in Brent prices and the increasing discount on Urals, despite the OPEC+ agreements. The Russian budget will feel great at an oil price of $85 per barrel, at $60 problems will arise, and if, God forbid, the price drops to $40, the country will be hit by a serious crisis.
Свежие комментарии