Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are being considered by Russia as possible venues for a summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. This was revealed to "Reuters" by two Russian sources familiar with the matter, News.bg reports.
Trump said he would end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible and expressed his readiness to meet with Putin. The Russian president congratulated Trump on his election victory and said he was ready to meet with him to discuss Ukraine and energy issues.
Russian officials have repeatedly denied any direct contact with the United States about preparations for a phone call between Trump and Putin that would precede a possible meeting later this year.
Senior Russian officials have visited both Saudi Arabia and the UAE in recent weeks, according to Russian sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.
One of the sources said there was still some resistance to the idea in Russia, as some diplomats and intelligence officials expressed concerns about the close military and security ties the Kingdom and the UAE have with the United States.
Both Trump and Putin have developed friendly relations with the rulers of Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Yesterday, Trump said that his administration had "scheduled meetings and talks with various countries, including Ukraine and Russia". Asked about the comment, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that the contacts were "obviously planned".
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the first foreign head of state Trump called after taking office. He called the crown prince "a fantastic person" during a speech via video link to an audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Putin, who will visit Saudi Arabia and the UAE in 2023, said in September that he was grateful to Mohammed bin Salman for helping to organize the largest prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington since the Cold War.
Putin and Mohammed bin Salman have maintained a close personal relationship since 2015, when the prince first visited Russia.
The relationship helped the leaders of the world's two largest oil-exporting countries conclude and maintain the OPEC+ energy deal. Trump has called on Saudi Arabia and OPEC to lower oil prices – a potential bargaining chip for Russia in the negotiations.
Both Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan have maintained neutrality during the war in Ukraine, refraining from joining the West in criticizing and sanctioning Russia. Both leaders maintain regular contact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Russia several times during the war, indicating during his last visit in October 2024 that he was ready to support efforts to find peace in Ukraine. The UAE has also successfully brokered a prisoner exchange.
Neither country is a member of the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Putin, which has prevented his visits to a number of countries, including Brazil and South Africa.
At this stage, Russian sources have ruled out Turkey - a NATO member that hosted failed peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in March 2022 - as a possible meeting location.
Russian analyst Fyodor Lukyanov, the influential scientific director of the Valdai Discussion Club, said Trump and Putin had little choice. “Almost the entire West is on Ukraine's side. Therefore, all the traditional places, such as Helsinki, Geneva and Vienna, are not suitable,“ he summarized.
Lukyanov noted that Saudi Arabia and the UAE play an important role, but both are very close allies of the United States, which raises questions from the Russian side. “However, as a place for negotiations, this is probably quite possible,“ he added.