Putin's Gifts, International Politics, and Regional Agendas in the Middle East

A white falcon from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi. Another falcon of a rare species from Putin to the Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The Russian president presented these gifts in 2019.

The scene will repeat today, but no one knows the type of gifts. However, how did Putin manage to visit the UAE and Saudi Arabia, considering there is an international arrest warrant issued against him in March for alleged war crimes? And why haven't these two countries arrested him?

The answer is simple. Riyadh and Abu Dhabi did not sign the foundational treaty of the International Criminal Court that issued the arrest warrant. Therefore, they are not obligated to take any judicial action against the Russian president.

The more crucial question remains: What is Putin doing in the UAE and Saudi Arabia? In Abu Dhabi, various issues were discussed, including the Israeli war on Gaza. Moscow is attempting to settle the Palestinian Cause, with its primary goal being a ceasefire and a long-term truce before any move toward resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Of course, the Ukrainian war file, the OPEC+ file, and the trade cooperation between the UAE and Russia were brought up. 

As in Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is crucial, along with the file of the Russian-Ukrainian war, in which Riyadh previously sought mediation, not to mention the energy and OPEC+ issues.

In conclusion, Putin's international isolation due to his war in Ukraine is once again broken today. After China, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, Putin will discuss regional and international files with his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, on Thursday, but this time in Moscow.