Putin meets UAE president ahead of Ukraine talks

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin met Emirati counterpart Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Moscow on Thursday ahead of a second round of talks on the Ukraine war in Abu Dhabi.

The UAE has emerged as a key mediator in the nearly four-year war, brokering a number of prisoner exchanges between the two sides and most recently hosting talks between US, Russian and Ukrainian officials on a US-drafted plan to end the fighting.

A follow-up meeting is planned for Sunday, though it is not clear whether US officials will attend.

“I would like to commend the Emirati side’s efforts in the context of the Ukrainian crisis, their contribution to prisoner exchanges, and assistance in organising contacts in the United Arab Emirates,” Putin said in a televised meeting with Al Nahyan.

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Several top Russian officials accompanied Putin to the meeting, including central bank governor Elvira Nabiullina and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a powerful Kremlin loyalist who does not typically take part in bilateral meetings with foreign leaders, also attended.

Sitting across from Putin, Al Nahyan said he supported “constructive dialogue and efforts aimed at promoting necessary diplomatic solutions.”