During an interview with Radu Osipov on TV Moldova1 on April 30, Eugenia Gusilov analyzed the United Arab Emirates exiting OPEC. She explained that this decision offers limited relief to markets because the missing volume (13 Mb/day) far exceeds the UAE's maximum potential output (4.8 Mb/day).

The exit reflects accumulated tensions with Saudi Arabia. OPEC+ quota enforcement forces member states to sacrifice production to accommodate non-OPEC barrels from Russia or Kazakhstan in the name of market stability.

By losing the UAE, OPEC loses flexibility, as only Saudi Arabia and the UAE possess swing supply capacity. The price shock has been temporarily cushioned by US allowances for India to buy Russian oil and the IEA releasing strategic reserves.

Ultimately, while the UAE's departure weakens OPEC, cartels have never favored consumers.