As the new round of Russia-Turkish talks in Moscow over Syria’s Idlib province continues, the Kremlin is likely trying to rewrite the rules of the game in Syria by shifting from its long-standing cooperation with Ankara to partnership with the Persian Gulf countries, which, in turn, seek to curb Turkey.

On Feb. 26, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov accused Turkey of bringing foreign fighters into Libya. Earlier that day Bogdanov met with Saudi Ambassador to Moscow Raid bin Khalid Krimli to honor him with an award for his “personal contribution to strengthening Saudi-Russian relations.” Krimli has completed his service in Russia and will be departing Moscow shortly.

On a separate track, a meeting between between the United Arab Emirate’s diplomatic mission in Syria and Damascus regional governor Alaa Ibrahim took place earlier this month. The negotiators focused on foreign investments in Syria and ways to increase bilateral cooperation at all levels. The diplomatic contacts between the two states, which for a long time were in a state of conflict, have gradually been taking a different path. What seemed particularly interesting about the meeting between the Emirati delegation and Ibrahim was its timing. The talks were preceded by a Feb. 12 visit of Sergey Naryshkin, the director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, to the UAE. In a meeting with the local intelligence community, he spoke about “the prospects for counterterrorism cooperation and addressing new challenges and threats to the two countries’ national interests.” Following the meeting, the Russian intelligence service press bureau said the two sides had recognized “similar or close approaches” to regional crises and solutions to them.

Along with the Saudis, the Emirates is considered a major rival to Turkey in the region. Thus, Naryskin’s visit to Dubai could not but arouse suspicion that Moscow was looking for a way to counterbalance Ankara, especially at a time of heightened tension over Idlib.