The United Arab Emirates will maintain its alliance with Russia in OPEC+ despite economic sanctions and pressure from Japan and Western nations, said UAE Energy and Infrastructure Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei. Russia is the leader of OPEC+, a group of 10 oil-exporting nations that are not part of the official OPEC but that work with the formal organization to manage global oil markets. “OPEC+, when they speak to us, they need to speak to us including Russia,” said al-Mazrouei in a March 28 interview with CNBC, referring to the oil cartel’s negotiations with energy importers. “Always, Russia is going to be part of that group and we need to respect them,” he said. Al-Mazrouei spoke with CNBC at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum in Dubai, UAE. “Who can replace Russia today? I cannot think of a country that can in a year, two, three, four or even 10 years replace 10 million …