ALBAWABA- UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for a diplomatic meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking his third visit to Russia in three years.
According to the UAE state news agency WAM, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov received him at the airport.
The two leaders are expected to discuss strengthening the strategic partnership between the UAE and Russia, focusing on economic, trade, energy, investment, and other areas of mutual development. They will also address key regional and international issues of shared concern.
This high-level visit comes at a time of heightened global tensions. Notably, it precedes an anticipated summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Putin next week, aimed at reviving stalled peace efforts in the Russia-Ukraine war, which began in April 2022 and has resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties.
Sheikh Mohamed’s last visit to Moscow was on October 20, 2024, shortly after the UAE played a key role in brokering a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine.
His first visit to Russia as president was in October 2022, reflecting deepening diplomatic and strategic engagement between Abu Dhabi and Moscow.
The visit also coincides with mounting controversy following Sudan’s downing of a UAE military plane in Darfur, which reportedly carried over 40 Colombian mercenaries supporting the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The Sudanese army claims the aircraft was supplying weapons to the RSF, a charge the UAE denies.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro confirmed the deaths and vowed to introduce legislation banning mercenary activity. He has instructed Colombia’s ambassador in Egypt to oversee efforts to recover the bodies of those killed.
