Russia’s Putin meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on whirlwind Gulf visit
- The leaders discussed oil and the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, during a rare overseas trip by the Russian president
- Putin earlier visited the UAE, where he was welcomed as a ‘dear friend’ by President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and immediately began hastily arranged talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on oil, Gaza and Ukraine.
It was not immediately clear what Putin, who has rarely left Russia since the start of the Ukraine war, intended to raise specifically about oil or geopolitics in a meeting with the crown prince of the world’s largest crude exporter.
The meeting with MBS, as the prince is widely known, comes after a fall in oil prices despite a pledge by Opec+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and allies led by Russia, to further cut output.
In introductory remarks shown on Russian television, Putin thanked the crown prince for his invitation, saying he had originally expected MBS to visit Moscow, “but there were changes to plans”.
Their next meeting should take place in Moscow, he said, adding: “Nothing can prevent the development of our friendly relations.”
