Putin visits UAE; likely to discuss Ukraine & Gaza wars

Abu Dhabi: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday arrived in the UAE and is expected to discuss the wars in Gaza and Ukraine as well as oil production with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the media reported.

The UAE is currently hosting the COP28 UN climate summit. However, the Kremlin has not said whether Putin will attend it, the BBC reported.

The Russian President is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia later on Wednesday to meet with the kingdom's de-facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The two leaders will "consider ways to promote de-escalation" in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Kremlin said.

He has left Russia since March, when the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him, the BBC reported.

The International Criminal Court has accused him of illegally deporting Ukrainian children to Russia -- a war crime -- but neither the UAE nor Saudi Arabia recognise the court's jurisdiction.

Putin has snubbed other recent international summits, including BRICS in South Africa in August and the G20 summit in September in India.

The trips come as Russia is keen to project influence and undermine the West's attempts to isolate it.

Putin told UAE President that "our relations have reached unprecedented levels".

Trade and oil will be on the agenda in the UAE, which a Kremlin statement said is "Russia's main economic partner in the Arab world".

Conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Sudan will also be discussed in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Russian presidential assistant Yuri Ushakov said.

Kremlin officials have also announced that Putin will meet with Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi on Thursday to discuss the war in Gaza.

Putin has only visited Russian-occupied Ukraine, Iran and China since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.