The UAE is threatening to withdraw from a USD 23 bn arms agreement with the US, the Wall Street Journal reports. In a letter written to the US government ahead of negotiations between the two countries, the UAE said it would suspend discussions on the transaction, citing concerns that US requirements meant to protect the weaponry from being used for Chinese espionage were too onerous and ran counter to the Emirate’s national sovereignty. The high-tech arms transaction, which includes F-35 aircraft and Reaper drones, was signed under former president Donald Trump. China has become something of a problem area in UAE-US relations this year, according to the WSJ, after Beijing was caught constructing what US intelligence believed to be a military facility at a port near Abu Dhabi.

And speaking of China: Russia and China are presenting a united front in the face of rising tensions with the West, with the two countries’ leaders agreeing to boost efforts to defend their nations’ security interests, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Meanwhile, the UAE and Turkey let bygones be bygones: Turkey and the UAE want to deepen economic and commercial cooperation, Turkey’s foreign minister and the UAE's prime minister said after wrapping up talks in Dubai yesterday, Reuters reports. The decade-long rivals have been stepping up diplomatic efforts recently, apparently as the result of Turkey’s charm offensive in the region (which hasn’t yet been quite so fruitful when it comes to patching things up with us.) The UAE signed agreements for USD bns of investments in Turkey last month, helping to stabilize the TRY following its historic crash.