The UAE’s decision not to pick sides in the Russia-Ukraine war allowed it to be seen as a neutral venue to host peace talks, Dr Anwar Gargash has said.
Speaking on a radio show at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, the diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed said the UAE was “heavily criticised” for doing so but had set its own course.
Dr Gargash spoke to Monocle Radio as the UAE is set to host a second round of peace talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US.
Talks in Abu Dhabi last month that sought to move the sides towards a framework for a ceasefire were hailed by the US as having made “substantial progress”.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday said further trilateral talks will be held in Abu Dhabi on February 4 and 5. Dr Gargash said part two “was coming”.
“When Russia invaded Ukraine, we took a position to be on the side of international law,” said Dr Gargash.
“But at the same time … not to take sides and to maintain relations with Ukraine and to maintain relations with Russia.”
He said about 20,000 Russians and 16,000 Ukrainians lived in the UAE when the war broke out and the UAE took measures such as extending visas for Ukrainians.
“We were criticised heavily for doing that because everyone wanted us to take sides,” he said. “Why are you doing this – how come you are on Russia’s side. Our argument stood. What we really want to do is we want to be helpful rather than be just a number.”
He pointed to humanitarian work to alleviate the conflict and the mediation of prisoner swaps that created “a certain positive feeling about the UAE and about it being a sort of neutral venue”.
Dr Gargash said the reelection of Donald Trump as US President brought a shift and “they were also very confident of the UAE’s credibility”.
He said the Russians and Ukrainians believed the UAE was a facilitator and the US was happy for that to happen.
“You have enough distance,” he said. “And the most important thing is the Americans feel it is a place this sort of conversation can continue. And … part two is coming.”
Iran tensions
Turning to the tension in Iran, Dr Gargash told the summit on Tuesday that direct talks between Iran and the US were needed to defuse the situation.
During the show, he again emphasised that the region did not need another conflict and Iran needed to negotiate directly.
“We are very concerned about it,” he said. “We don’t want to see a confrontation. We have had a difficult relationship with Iran over many years. But we are neighbours.”
The US and Iran are expected resume nuclear talks on Friday, Iranian and American officials said, although a location has yet to be agreed on. Dr Gargash said if the talks did not work, “we might see an escalation that is not in favour of Iran or anyone”.
