Russian President Vladimir Putin embarked on a trip to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), seeking support from major oil-producing allies amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, AP News reports.
Putin, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the war, landed in Abu Dhabi, marking his first visit to the region since before the pandemic. Neither the UAE nor Saudi Arabia are signatories to the ICC treaty and are thus not obligated to detain Putin.
The visit underscores the UAE’s business ties with Russia and Putin is scheduled to meet with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss oil and navigate Western sanctions.
Ukrainian representatives at the COP28 climate summit expressed outrage.
