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Russia is considering Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as potential venues for talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to Reuters, high-ranking Russian officials recently visited both countries. Some diplomats and intelligence personnel in Russia oppose the idea, citing the close military and security ties these countries have with the U.S. Nevertheless, both Trump and Putin maintain friendly relations with the leaders of the Arab states.
At this stage, Reuters sources rule out the possibility of hosting the meeting in Turkey. Recently, Trump mentioned that his administration had planned “meetings and talks” with various parties, including Ukraine and Russia. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded that contacts are “obviously planned.”
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan have remained neutral in the war in Ukraine. They have not joined Western sanctions against Moscow but maintain relations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Additionally, neither of the countries has signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Putin, prohibiting his entry into several countries.
Read also: Russia’s alliance with Iran, North Korea could be dangerous for U.S. – Zelenskyy
