Morocco’s dangerous dance with Russia: Both sides, one smile
It has become all too clear of Morocco’s intention to continue their course on the tightrope between East and West, with oil from Russia in one hand and Trump’s fragile Western Sahara promise in the other.
According to Moroccan government friendly news outlet Hespress, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita spoke with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on September 9th. The discussion apparently aimed to strengthen dialogue between the two nations, reaffirming what the Moroccan foreign ministry described as a “deep strategic partnership.”
The two Foreign Ministers reportedly reviewed upcoming bilateral milestones such as preparations for the eighth session of the joint Moroccan-Russian commission. The outlet also claims the two ministers agreed to expand on cooperation in sectors of mutual interest.
For Morocco, maintaining ties with Moscow has always been about strategy, oil serving as the fuel that keeps the relationship alive. After the EU imposed sanctions on Moscow for their invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin pivoted to the North African market to export its energy. As reported by The New Arab, citing The Wall Street Journal, Morocco’s oil imports from Russia boomed to around 2 million barrels in 2023, a 1.4-million-barrel increase from 2021.
Seemingly because of this lucrative relationship, Morocco has moved with caution in their public stance on the war in Ukraine, preferring to stay in the realm of neutrality as much as they possibly can. The UN held 4 emergency sessions concerning the war in 2022, Morocco was absent from 3 and only voted in favour of condemning Russia’s annexation plans in the 4th session.
Morocco appears to be performing a balancing act it knows all too well, aiming to keep both sides happy even if it leaves their foreign policy looking contradictory. As Maghrebi’s editor in chief Martin Jay notes, “Russia is a big player in Africa, a key leading country in BRICS which Morocco wants to join and also supplies the Kingdom with cut oil prices. And yet, we are led to believe that relations between Moscow and Rabat are sour.”
Despite Rabat’s rapidly increasing yet quiet cooperation with Moscow, they are still reliant on their relationship with the West. Without the backing of the U.S and Europe, Morocco’s plans for the Western Sahara stand weaker.
In exchange for normalisation with Israel, Trump recognised Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara at the end of his first term. As Maghrebi reported, Europe naturally followed with the UK and France also offering their endorsements.
However, this cornerstone rests on uneasy ground, Trump’s second term in office is one of unpredictability, and his stance on nations who deal with Russia poses problems for Rabat. Trump has threatened a new wave of tariffs for those who buy Russian oil, a category Morocco fit squarely into. In playing both sides, the kingdom may be approaching a situation where they finally must pick their poison.
Hespress, Maghrebi, Al Jazeera, The New Arab
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