Western officials visit UAE in efforts to halt exports to Russia: Report

United States, British and European Union representatives are visiting the United Arab Emirates amid concerns regarding shipments of goods, including computer chips, to Russia that could help Moscow in its war on Ukraine. The senior Western officials arrived in the Gulf nation this week to discuss sanctions on Russia, as concerns mounted that Moscow was bypassing them through various means, a US embassy spokesperson told CNN on Wednesday. The report came on the heels of another by the Wall Street Journal on Monday – citing US and European officials – that discussed plans to jointly press the UAE to halt shipments of goods to Russia. This was part of a collective global push to keep computer chips, electronic components and other so-called dual-use products out of Russian hands, the WSJ report said. The UAE, a member of the OPEC oil alliance that includes Russia, has maintained good ties with Moscow despite Western pressure to isolate Russia over the invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022.