When the UAE abstained from a UN Security Council resolution on February 25 condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it was the first sign that America's Middle East allies might not take the stance the White House might have expected, and that it might be more interested in steering a middle course through the crisis engulfing Europe over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

Whereas the more established economies of the West have been quick to condemn Russia's actions, the UAE, like other emerging economies, are in the midst of a finely tuned balancing act, hedging against Western dependence by forging relations with China, and of course Russia, one of the world's biggest oil producers.