Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a working visit, marking his first trip to the Middle East since the invasion of Ukraine in February last year. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the UAE’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, greeted Putin after his arrival in Abu Dhabi.

Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan also welcomed Putin at an official reception in the capital. The UAE remains the largest Gulf trading partner of Russia, accounting for 55% of the total Russian-Gulf trade. Trade between the two nations continues to grow, reaching roughly $10 billion. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that the figure is likely to increase and that Moscow supports the UAE in joining the BRICS group.
President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed reiterated his wish for a calmer world and expressed the UAE’s openness to playing a role in helping ease tensions, particularly over the Ukraine war. Putin’s overseas trips have been severely limited due to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for him over alleged war crimes. Since the UAE has not ratified the statute governing the ICC, it is not obligated to arrest the Russian leader on its territory.
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