UAE President meets Putin in Russia to discuss nuclear energy, trade, Iran
The visit of Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed comes a day after the Kremlin hosted President Ahmed al-Sharaa to discuss the future of Russian military bases in Syria.
Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan led a business-focused delegation to Moscow on Thursday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on trade, energy and technology cooperation. The visit came days after the United Arab Emirates hosted talks between Moscow and Kyiv and as the US builds up its military presence in the Middle East in response to tensions with Iran.
Sheikh Mohammed received a red carpet welcome from Putin upon his arrival at the Kremlin and Putin thanked Abu Dhabi for its “contribution to making an exchange of detained persons possible," with Kyiv.
The UAE has brokered several exchanges of captives between Ukraine and Russia since Putin launched his invasion in 2022, most recently mediating the release of 146 people from each side in August of 2025.
🇷🇺🇦🇪Russian President Vladimir Putin receives UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Kremlin pic.twitter.com/OD1uG1j7Aq
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) January 29, 2026
Details: The Russian leader called the UAE an “important trading partner” in the Arab world, adding that trade is on the rise. Putin added that he plans to discuss the situation in Iran with his Emirati counterpart.
