Amid US rift and Saudi rivalry, UAE offers Zelenskyy economic lifeline
Gulf countries find themselves in a difficult position as they navigate placating Trump, maintaining good relations with Russia, and engaging with Ukraine while also providing mediation and humanitarian aid.
DUBAI — The United Arab Emirates could play a larger role in Ukraine's post-war development and reconstruction, as Kyiv seeks new partners amid strained relations with the Trump administration.
The UAE hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Abu Dhabi Feb. 16-17, as the United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia held talks in Riyadh, sidelining Kyiv. It was his first visit since the war. He had previously visited the UAE in 2021. The timing was not coincidental and followed efforts by the UAE to host the Russia-US summit, diplomatic sources told Al-Monitor. The Trump administration ultimately went with Riyadh.
The Saudi-facilitated meeting set the tone for Zelenskyy's growing isolation by Trump, who eventually went on to call Zelenskyy a dictator and refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine on two resolutions proposed at the United Nations on the third anniversary of the war.
Zelenskyy canceled his plans to rustle up support in Riyadh on Feb. 18, but he did leave with a trade agreement from the UAE in hand.
