Russian president Vladimir Putin, embroiled in a war in Ukraine, talked with Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, and both had pledged global energy market stability, official sources said on Tuesday.
They agreed in a phone call on the “need to maintain the stability of the global energy market,” said the Abu Dhabi-based state news agency WAM, as oil prices surge due to Russia’s invasion.
Mohammed was also briefed by Putin on “the developments of the crisis with Ukraine”, WAM reported.
The crown prince, known by his initials MBZ, stressed the need for a “peaceful solution … in a way that guarantees the interests and national security of all parties”.
A statement by the Kremlin’s press service, carried in English by the Russian news agency Interfax, also noted that the two men discussed the Ukraine situation.
The Kremlin’s press service meanwhile said the crown prince had also “stated the right of Russia to ensure its national security”.
“Vladimir Putin gave a detailed account of the reasons, goals and targets of the Russian special operation,” the Kremlin added.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), like other Gulf nations, has important relations with both Washington and Moscow. Abu Dhabi is a constituent emirate of the UAE and its capital.
US troops are stationed in the country, but Abu Dhabi also cooperates closely with Russia, particularly as members of the OPEC+ alliance of oil producers.
- AFP, with additional editing by George Russell
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