The Russian leader has strengthened his partnerships with Gulf states as Moscow faces increasing isolation from the West.

Accompanied by four fighter jets, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a rare one-day lightning trip to the Middle East, visiting Saudi Arabia after a short trip to the United Arab Emirates.

Putin landed on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, where the United Nations’ COP28 climate talks are taking place. He was escorted to the presidential palace, where he was greeted with a 21-gun salute and a flyby of United Arab Emirates military aircraft trailing smoke in the colors of the Russian flag.

The Gulf state’s president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, called Putin his “dear friend.”

“I am happy to see you again,” said Sheikh Mohammed. He later issued a statement saying they discussed “the importance of strengthening dialogue and cooperation to ensure stability and progress.”

The Russian leader echoed those sentiments.

“Our relations have reached an unprecedented high level, largely thanks to your position,” Putin told Sheikh Mohammed. “The UAE is Russia’s most important trading partner in the Arab world.”

The meeting was part of Russia’s push to gain a more influential role in the Middle East, with oil cooperation and the war between Israel and Hamas on the agenda.

According to the Russian state news agency TASS, the two heads of state and government discussed, among other things, bilateral cooperation in the energy industry and cutting-edge technologies.

Putin then flew to Riyadh, where he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud – their first face-to-face meeting since October 2019.

In an introductory speech on Russian television, Putin thanked the crown prince for his invitation and said he had originally expected MBS to visit Moscow, “but there have been changes to the plans.”

Their next meeting should take place in Moscow, he said, adding: “Nothing can prevent the development of our friendly relations.”

Putin’s meeting with the Saudi crown prince came after oil prices fell despite OPEC+, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and their allies led by Russia pledging to further reduce production.

But it was not immediately clear what specific oil or geopolitics Putin wanted to discuss with the crown prince of the world’s largest crude exporter.

On Thursday, Putin will receive Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Moscow. The UAE will then welcome Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday and Saturday.

Putin’s rare trip to the region is his first since July 2022, when he met Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran.

According to the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Russian leader has made few international trips. issued an arrest warrant against him in March and accused him of deporting Ukrainian children.

Neither the United Arab Emirates nor Saudi Arabia signed the ICC’s founding treaty and are not obliged to arrest him if he enters their territory.

Regarding Israel’s two-month bombing of the besieged Gaza Strip, Putin described the war as a failure of US diplomacy. He suggested that Moscow could instead play the role of mediator because of its friendly relations with both Israel and the Palestinians.

Putin’s trip to the Middle East is also part of his effort to show that the West is trying to isolate Moscow Sanctions for his war against Ukraine I failed.

“He seems pretty pleased to be on the ground in Abu Dhabi,” said Al Jazeera diplomatic editor James Bays. It is unclear how this visit will be perceived in Washington as the UAE also has close ties with the US, he added.