Among all the countries that have tried to mediate with Russia since it invaded Ukraine earlier this year — from France to South Africa — the United Arab Emirates and its Middle East partners are the ones showing an ability to get things done.
That was on display again this week, when the Gulf state helped facilitate a prisoner swap between Russia and the U.S., with the U.S. releasing a notorious Russian arms dealer in exchange for Russia’s release of basketball star Brittney Griner.
The swap of Griner for Viktor Bout, the so-called “merchant of death” whose freedom Russia had sought for years, took place Thursday at Abu Dhabi airport. The first major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine occurred in September, also facilitated by UAE, along with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
