“Since 2013, Egypt has decided to diversify [its weapons sources] away from US-made military equipment. Against that backdrop, Moscow emerged as a reliable arms supplier to Cairo,” Mohammed Soliman, a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute, told Al-Monitor.
Soliman said that Cairo's close military and economic ties with Moscow will be detrimental to Egypt's interests if Russia becomes a pariah state, so Cairo doesn't plan to pick sides in the war.
Of note, Egypt also has strategic interests with the United States, which provides it with military aid and considers it a key Middle East partner. Egypt also has interests with Ukraine and the European Union, with eyes on becoming a gas exportation hub to many European countries.
"Egypt has strong military, security, and economic relations with both Moscow and Washington. Cairo knows it has to walk a fine line between the two global superpowers in order to not jeopardize Egypt's national interests,” Soliman noted.