UAE's president meets Putin in Russia
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan said that he and Putin had agreed on “the importance of engaging in dialogue to reduce tensions and arrive at a diplomatic solution,” in comments after the talks on Twitter.
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St. Petersburg, Oct 12: Russian President Vladimir Putin said the United Arab Emirates can play a “significant” role in efforts to reach a resolution in his war in Ukraine as he held talks with the Gulf nation’s ruler.
“I am aware of your concerns about how the situation is developing in general and of your wish to help with resolving all controversial issues, including the crisis that’s happening now,” Putin said at the start of their meeting Tuesday in St. Petersburg. “I’d like to point out that it’s indeed a substantial factor that allows us to use your influence for moving toward resolving the situation.”
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan said that he and Putin had agreed on “the importance of engaging in dialogue to reduce tensions and arrive at a diplomatic solution,” in comments after the talks on Twitter. The UAE ruler’s visit comes amid a sudden escalation in the nearly eight-month invasion as Russia carried out the second day of missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. Leaders of the Group of Seven nations held a video conference Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who’s seeking more weapons to help protect against the attacks. The Russian assaults have intensified concerns about an escalation in the conflict after US President Joe Biden last week warned that threats from Putin that he may resort to tactical nuclear weapons could lead to “Armageddon.” The UAE, as well as Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which helped broker a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine last month, have put themselves forward as potential interlocutors between the warring parties. All three countries have refused to implement Western sanctions on Russia and have maintained ties to both Moscow and Kyiv. Russia and the UAE, together with Saudi Arabia, are also part of the OPEC+ alliance that last week defied the US by slashing crude supply, a shock decision that keeps oil prices high at a time of global concern about inflation. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet Putin in Kazakhstan on Thursday, where Ukraine will be among the main topics for discussion, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Tuesday.
Still, Putin’s hurried move last month to annex four Ukrainian regions that his forces only partly control has sharply reduced the chances of negotiations to end the fighting. The annexations were branded as illegal by the United Nations and rejected by Ukraine and its US and European allies, which have pledged to continue providing financial and military assistance.