Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a rare visit to the Middle East as he met with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday in a lightning tour intended to raise Moscow’s profile.
This is the third trip the Russian leader has taken outside the former Soviet Union since he invaded Ukraine, following visits to Iran and China, and comes as Moscow seeks to bolster its influence in the Middle East.
Putin was seen greeting the country’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, before the two briefly sat down for televised talks.
“Nothing can prevent the development of our friendly relations,” Putin told Prince Mohammed, inviting the Saudi royal to visit Moscow.
“It is very important for all of us to exchange information and assessments with you on what is happening in the region. Our meeting is certainly timely,” Putin said.
The Kremlin said ahead of the meeting that the two would discuss oil markets as well as ways to promote de-escalation in the war in Gaza.
Since March, Putin has been wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court over the invasion of Ukraine.
He skipped the BRICS summit in August in South Africa, which recognises the ICC, to avoid causing a “political show”, and missed the G20 summit in India in September.
But neither the UAE nor Saudi Arabia have signed the ICC’s founding treaty, meaning they are not obliged to arrest him.
The Russian leader was earlier welcomed with a full cavalry escort and motorcade in the UAE, where he met President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
A national air show team drew a Russian flag with coloured fumes in the sky.
“Today, thanks to your posture, our relations have reached unprecedented levels,” Putin told his counterpart at the presidential palace, saying the UAE was “Russia’s main trading partner in the Arab world.”
Bilateral trade hit a record $9 billion last year, according to the Kremlin, and Putin said “a number of projects” were underway in the oil and gas sector.
The UAE is currently hosting the COP28 UN climate talks, but the Kremlin did not specify whether Putin attended any related events.
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