Russian President Vladimir Putin was escorted to the Middle East by 4 Russian fighter jets Wednesday for a uncommon journey overseas.
The President’s airplane was flanked by Sukhoi-35S fighter jets, which the protection ministry confirmed flying beside his Ilyushin-96 plane from Russia to the United Arab Emirates.
In Abu Dhabi, President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan referred to as Putin his “dear friend” and UAE jets greeted the Kremlin chief with a fly-past trailing the colours of the Russian flag.
“Our relations, largely due to your position, have reached an unprecedentedly high level,” Putin instructed Sheikh Mohammed. “The UAE is Russia’s main trading partner in the Arab world.”
Putin mentioned Russia and the UAE cooperated as a part of OPEC+, whose members pump greater than 40% of the world’s oil, including that they might focus on the Israeli-Hamas battle and Ukraine.
After the UAE, Putin is because of journey to Saudi Arabia for his first face-to-face assembly with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, since October 2019.
His final go to to the area was in July 2022, when he met Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran.
Putin’s assembly with MBS comes as oil costs fell regardless of a pledge by OPEC+, which teams the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies led by Russia, to additional lower output.
It was not instantly clear what Putin, who has hardly ever left Russia for the reason that begin of the Ukraine conflict, particularly intends to lift about oil markets with the crown prince of the world’s largest crude exporter, simply days after disagreements delayed a key OPEC+ assembly.
The Kremlin mentioned that in addition to oil, they are going to speak about Israel’s ongoing brutal conflict on Gaza, the scenario in Syria and Yemen, and points corresponding to making certain stability within the Gulf, whereas an aide mentioned Ukraine would even be mentioned.
Putin will host Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Moscow on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned.
Source: www.dailysabah.com