Russia Selenskyj parallel to Rubio in the Gulf
In parallel to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to Saudi Arabia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also traveled to the Gulf. He met President Mohammed bin Sajid in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as reported by the state agency WAM.
17.02.2025, 13:33
SDA
According to the report, Mohammed said in Abu Dhabi that the Emirates were trying to find a peaceful solution to the "conflict in Ukraine", without directly mentioning Russia in the passage.
Selensky described the talks with Mohammed, which among other things focused on the return of Ukrainians from Russian captivity, as "meaningful". "The UAE's mediation has saved many lives," Selenskyj wrote on X. The Emirates mediated the exchange of hundreds of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine during the war.
The two heads of state signed an agreement in Abu Dhabi on the duty-free import of almost all Ukrainian goods into the UAE as well as Emirati goods into Ukraine. According to Emirati sources, one of the aims is to speed up the recovery of the Ukrainian economy. "We are grateful for the cooperation that saves lives and helps our countries to become stronger," wrote Selsenkyj.
During Selsenkyj's visit to the Emirates, US Secretary of State Rubio was in neighboring Saudi Arabia, where he plans to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday. Neither representatives of Ukraine nor the Europeans will be at the table during the talks in Saudi Arabia.
