Relationship dossier
Kuwait
Russia
Relationship assessment
Energy coordination and past security cooperation coexist with disagreement over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Kuwait toward Russia
+15Kuwait has participated in OPEC+ oil-policy coordination involving Russia. Kuwait also supported United Nations resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia toward Kuwait
+20Russia has coordinated oil policy with Kuwait through the OPEC+ framework. As a permanent member of the Security Council, the Soviet Union supported measures responding to Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship includes practical energy coordination and a history of Russian support for international measures responding to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. Kuwait’s support for United Nations resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine marks a significant difference, while the available bilateral features indicate continued engagement rather than sustained confrontation.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Kuwait and Russia have cooperated on oil policy through the OPEC+ framework. Russia also supported United Nations Security Council measures responding to Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Kuwait, in turn, has supported United Nations resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, reflecting a notable difference over international security.
Areas of tension
- Kuwait’s support for United Nations resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine differs from Russia’s position.
Key developments
Kuwait and Russia participated in OPEC+ oil-policy coordination under the Declaration of Cooperation.
Kuwait voted in favor of a United Nations General Assembly resolution deploring Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of direct bilateral cooperation beyond energy coordination are unclear.
- The extent to which Kuwait’s position on Ukraine affects other areas of bilateral engagement is unclear.