The United Arab Emirates are looking for a way out of their military engagement with the United States and France.

A few weeks ago, the United States and France followed on their screens, for twelve hours, the trajectory of Houthi drones from Yemen to the Emirates, where they struck. However, they omitted to alert their UAE allies. Subsequently, the United States hinted that it was willing to ensure the protection of the Emirates against such threats provided that they did not abandon Aden to the Houthi rebels. Thus the UAE remained in Yemen, notwithstanding their desire to extricate themselves, and have harbored a strong resentment ever since.

Abu Dhabi and Dubai consider the Russian operation in Ukraine as a definite sign of the West’s decline. To avoid antagonizing the US by suddenly switching to Russia, they have ordered fighter planes from China.

If this transaction goes through, it will become much more difficult for the United States and France to sell arms tô other states in the Gulf.