Putin visits UAE and Saudi Arabia
Seeks to bolster Mideast clout
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday in a lightning tour intended to raise Moscow’s profile as a Middle East power broker, even as his war in Ukraine grinds on.
Mr. Putin landed in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Emirates, that is hosting the United Nations’ COP28 climate talks. It was his first trip to the region since before the coronavirus pandemic and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking at the start of his talks with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Mr. Putin offered to discuss energy cooperation, the conflict in the Middle East and the “Ukrainian crisis.” He praised the current state of Russia’s relations with the UAE and congratulated the country for hosting the COP28 climate talks.
Mr. Putin, who has limited his foreign travel since sending troops into invade Ukraine, visited China in October and made several trips to former Soviet nations in recent months. He faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over the war in Ukraine.
Neither the UAE nor Saudi Arabia has signed the ICC founding treaty, meaning they don’t face an obligation to detain Mr. Putin over the warrant accusing him of being personally responsible for the abductions of children from Ukraine during the war. Mr. Putin skipped a summit in South Africa amid speculation he could be arrested on arrival.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s foreign minister, met a smiling Mr. Putin after he bounded down the stairs of his presidential plane. Four Su-35 fighter jets had escorted it all the way from Russia, landing at Abu Dhabi’s commercial airport, since Al-Dhafra Air Base is a major U.S. military hub in the region.
Although the UAE is a U.S. ally, it has close ties with Russia. It greeted Mr. Putin at Abu Dhabi’s Qasr al-Watan palace with a 21gun salute and a flyby of UAE military jets trailing smoke in the colors of the Russian flag.
“I’m happy to meet you again,” Sheikh Mohammed said as he sat with Mr. Putin. He later issued a statement saying they discussed “the importance of strengthening dialogue and cooperation to ensure stability and progress.”
The pageantry in the Emirates, which relies on the U.S. as its major security partner, highlights the UAE’s expansive business ties to Russia that have expanded since grinding Western sanctions targeted Moscow. Russian commentators have said the UAE is a key avenue for Russia to skirt the sanctions.
Russian media later posted video of Mr. Putin arriving in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia are key participants in international efforts to negotiate a settlement to the Israel-Hamas war. Putin has close personal ties with both rulers.
Mr. Putin has sought to boost Russia’s profile as a power broker in the conflict in the Middle East and challenge Washington, casting the war the war as a failure of U.S. diplomacy. He has suggested Moscow could be a mediator, thanks to its friendly ties with both Israel and the Palestinians.
Mr. Putin is set to continue his diplomacy Thursday by hosting Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in the Kremlin.