Russia’s Putin is visiting the UAE and Saudi Arabia, seeking to bolster Moscow’s Mideast clout

By JON GAMBRELL
Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in a one-day lightning tour intended to raise Russia’s profile as a Middle East power broker, even as his war Ukraine grinds on. Putin landed in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Emirates, which is hosting the United Nations’ COP28 climate talks. It marked his first trip to the region since before the coronavirus pandemic and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Speaking at the start of his talks with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Putin offered to discuss energy cooperation, the conflict in the Middle East and the “Ukrainian crisis.” Russian media later showed him arriving in Saudi Arabia.