Russian President Vladimir Putin Visits Saudi, UAE 

Russian President Vladimir Putin made an unexpected visit to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which has taken the West by surprise. Putin first visited UAE, where he met President Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who gave him a grand reception after the Russian leader landed in Abu Dhabi. A similar welcome was given to Putin by Saudi Arabia as he met Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman, and his next visit will take place in Iran. Russia is thus rejuvenating its ties with these nations and growing its influence on the Middle East.

One of the top agendas of this visit will be oil. Since the Ukraine war, Russia has faced hard sanctions by the Western nations, which have been aiming to reduce Russia’s market share in oil exports. However, Putin has strengthened his ties with these nations to counter this problem since both Saudi Arabia and UAE have shown willingness to withstand pressure from the West. Russian President Vladimir Putin will also raise the issue of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and likely offer his support or mediation on the matter.

Image source: Reuters