Putin traveled to the Gulf region – but not to the climate summit. Russia’s president visits the heads of state of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. He has no fear of being arrested there.
While the World Climate Conference is meeting in Dubai, Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun his trip to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The Kremlin chief is likely hoping to win the support of the two oil-rich countries in the Middle East.
Putin landed in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Emirates, and was greeted at the airport by Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan received. Before meeting President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Emirati military acrobatics team flew in formation.
“Thanks to your attitude, our relations have reached an unprecedented level today,” Putin said to the president, praising the brisk trade between the states. The Kremlin chief said he would talk to his colleague about the situation “in the hot zones.” He mentioned both the Middle East conflict and the “crisis in Ukraine” – and by that he meant the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
Putin invites Zayed to BRICS summit
According to Russian information, Putin praised the countries’ bilateral relationship as historically unprecedented and invited Zayed to attend the 2024 BRICS summit in Kazan. BRICS stands for the organization’s members: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. According to Putin, the United Arab Emirates is Russia’s most important trading partner in the Arab region.
After his visit to Abu Dhabi, Putin flew on to Saudi Arabia, where he will meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. According to the Kremlin, the talks in Riyadh will focus on trade, investments and international politics.
Putin does not face arrest
According to Moscow, the cut in oil production decided by the OPEC+ oil cartel will also be on the agenda for Putin’s trip to the two Arab countries. The program did not say whether Putin would also attend the UN climate conference currently taking place in Dubai in the Emirates.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued an arrest warrant against Putin in March over the abduction of Ukrainian children to Russia. That is why Putin did not travel to the major international meetings; he stayed away from both the G20 summit in September in India and the summit of the BRICS group of countries in August in South Africa. Despite the arrest warrant against him, Putin does not have to expect arrest in the Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Both countries are not parties to the ICC.
Putin recently traveled to countries that are friendly to the Russian head of state: in October he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the New Silk Road Forum. A few days earlier, Putin traveled abroad for the first time since the arrest warrant and went to nearby Kyrgyzstan.