The UAE leader Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Putin

The President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, reminded in his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that his country is mediating in the prisoner exchange negotiations in the Ukraine-Russia war, stating, “The UAE continues to mediate in prisoner exchanges and humanitarian issues.”

The President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, arrived in Moscow, the capital of Russia, last night. Al Nahyan went from the airport to the Presidential residence of President Vladimir Putin in Novo-Ogarevo, where he held an informal meeting with the Russian leader. During the meeting, Putin and Al Nahyan discussed regional issues as well as the Ukraine-Russia war. Al Nahyan, whose official contacts began today, met with Putin again at the Kremlin as part of his meetings. In his statements during the meeting, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan stated, “The relations between Russia and the UAE are of a historical and strategic nature. Since the declaration of strategic partnership in 2018, our relations have qualitatively progressed, especially in economic, trade, energy, and other areas.”

“We will continue to mediate in the prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia”

Continuing his speech, Al Nahyan emphasized that the trade volume between the UAE and Russia, excluding oil, has increased significantly since 2018, stating, “While our non-oil trade volume was at 2.5 billion dollars in 2018, this figure exceeded 11 billion dollars last year.” Reminding that negotiations for prisoner exchanges between the parties continue in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, Al Nahyan stated that his country has taken on a mediating role in these negotiations, saying, “The UAE continues to make efforts regarding humanitarian aid and prisoner exchanges. A new exchange took place recently. You can be assured that we will continue our efforts in this direction. We are ready to show all kinds of efforts for the resolution of crises and conflicts and for world peace.”

Al Nahyan also indicated that they cooperate with Russia in the field of aviation, highlighting that a UAE astronaut was sent to the International Space Station with the support of Russia, and he added that they thank Russia in this regard.

“We support the proposal for the formation of a multipolar world”

The UAE leader Al Nahyan stated that they support the proposal for the establishment of a “multipolar world order,” which Russian President Putin has expressed almost on every occasion, saying, “The UAE supports the process of creating a multipolar world where all countries will develop. We also support you in this regard within the framework of our interactions in both BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as well as OPEC+.”

Putin, on the other hand, said that the UAE leader Al Nahyan touched upon almost every issue, thanked the UAE for its efforts in the prisoner exchange, and stated that it is positive for them that the relations between the two countries continue to increase.

Al Nahyan’s sneakers became a topic in the Russian press

The fact that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended the informal meeting with Putin wearing sneakers became one of the most discussed topics in the Russian press and public. Many media outlets quoted the images and photos released by the Kremlin and highlighted Al Nahyan’s appearance in sneakers, while his relaxed demeanor in front of Vladimir Putin was frequently criticized by Russian social media users.

As part of his meetings, Al Nahyan will attend the BRICS Summit to be held tomorrow in Kazan, Tatarstan.