Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a one-day trip to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia focused on the Israeli-Hamas war and host the Iranian president in Moscow this week, the Kremlin said Tuesday. Putin will make working visits to both countries on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Quick Read
- Putin’s Middle East trip: Russian President Vladimir Putin is set for a one-day visit to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to discuss the Israeli-Hamas war and other international issues.
- Focus of the talks: The discussions during the visits will center on bilateral relations, the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and global topics, including oil price caps under the OPEC+ agreement.
- Announcement of the trip: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the visits, which were initially mentioned by Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, although Ushakov did not specify the dates at that time.
- Russia’s role in the Middle East: Putin’s visit comes at a time when Russia is seeking to strengthen its influence as a mediator in Middle Eastern conflicts.
- Meeting with Iranian President: Putin is scheduled to host Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Moscow later this week, further indicating Russia’s active engagement in the region.
- Recent travels of Putin: The Russian president has been active diplomatically, with a visit to China and several trips to former Soviet countries in recent times.
- ICC arrest warrant: The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Putin in March for war crimes related to the abductions of children from Ukraine. This development has influenced Putin’s international travel, as seen with his decision to skip the BRICS summit in South Africa.
- Significance of the ICC warrant: The warrant against Putin, a leader of one of the U.N. Security Council’s five permanent members, marks a notable development. The ICC accuses Putin of the war crime of “unlawful deportation” of children from occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia.
- Implications for travel to ICC signatory countries: Putin’s travel decisions are affected by the ICC warrant, as he avoids countries that are signatories to the ICC’s founding treaty, like South Africa. However, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where Putin plans to visit, have not signed this treaty.
The Associated Press has the story:
Putin to discuss Israel-Hamas war during a 1-day trip to Saudi Arabia, UAE
Newslooks- MOSCOW (AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a one-day trip to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia focused on the Israeli-Hamas war and host the Iranian president in Moscow this week, the Kremlin said Tuesday.
Putin will make working visits to both countries on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
The talks will focus on bilateral relations, the war between Israel and Hamas and other international issues, Peskov said. Issues related to oil price caps under OPEC+ will also be on the agenda, he added.
Putin’s trip was first announced on Monday by his foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, who didn’t give a date for the visits when he spoke to the Russian news outlet Life.
“I hope that these will be very useful negotiations, which we consider extremely important,” Ushakov was quoted as saying by Life.
Putin will make the visit at a time when Russia wants to advance its role as a power broker in the conflict in the Middle East.
Putin will host Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in the Kremlin on Thursday, Peskov added.
The Russian president visited China in October and recently made several trips to former Soviet nations.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.
Since the warrant was issued, Putin chose not to attend a BRICS summit in South Africa because the country would be obliged to arrest Putin upon arrival as it is a signatory to the international court’s treaty.
Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE have signed the ICC’s founding treaty.
The notice against Putin in March was the first time the global court issued a warrant against a leader of one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. The ICC said in a statement that Putin is accused of the war crime of ” unlawful deportation ″ of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.
