Putin to Visit Saudi Arabia and U.A.E. on Wednesday

Author: Editors Desk Source: N.Y Times

December 5, 2023 at 11:20

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia at a Group of 20 summit in 2018. Oil efforts helped build ties between the leaders.Credit...Tom Brenner for The New York Times

The trip is part of a series of diplomatic meetings by the Russian leader, and comes as Ukraine tries to shore up eroding Western support for its war effort.

President Vladimir V. Putin will make a rare trip to the Middle East on Wednesday, the Kremlin announced, saying he would discuss bilateral relations, oil and international affairs in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The trip is part of a flurry of diplomatic meetings the Russia leader will conduct this week; on Thursday in Moscow, Mr. Putin will host President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran, the leader of another key player in the region.

Mr. Putin, who has not traveled beyond China, Iran and the former Soviet states since he launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, will visit both the Emirates and Saudi Arabia in one day, Dmitri S. Peskov, his spokesman, told journalists during a briefing on Tuesday.

The meetings, announced unexpectedly, come as Ukraine tries to shore up Western aid for its war effort, amid signs of eroding support in the United States. President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the U.S. Senate on Tuesday in an attempt to stress the urgency of maintaining American financial and military backing.

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