Saudi Arabia, UAE seen as possible venues for Trump-Putin summit, say Russian sources

MOSCOW – Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are seen by Russia as possible venues for a summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, two Russian sources with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters.

Mr Trump has said he will end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible, and that he is ready to meet Mr Putin.

Mr Putin congratulated Mr Trump on his election

and stated he is ready to meet him to discuss Ukraine and energy.

Russian officials have repeatedly denied any direct contacts with the US about preparations for a phone call between Mr Trump and Mr Putin, which would precede an eventual meeting later in 2025.

But senior Russian officials have visited both Saudi Arabia and the UAE in recent weeks, according to the Russian sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.

One source said there was still some opposition to the idea in Russia, as some diplomats and intelligence officials were pointing to the close military and security links that both the kingdom and the UAE have with the US.

But both Mr Trump and Mr Putin have developed friendly ties with rulers of Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE did not respond to requests for comment. The Kremlin declined comment.

Mr Trump on Feb 2 said his administration had “meetings and talks scheduled with various parties, including Ukraine and Russia”.

When asked about those remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said contacts were “apparently planned”.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the first foreign head of state Mr Trump called after taking office.

He described the Crown Prince as “a fantastic guy” in his speech via video link to an audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Mr Putin, who visited Saudi Arabia and the UAE in 2023, said in September 2024 that he was grateful to the Crown Prince for helping to organise the biggest US-Russian prisoner swop since the Cold War.

Mr Putin and the Crown Prince, also known as MbS, have fostered a close personal relationship since 2015 when he visited Russia for the first time.

The relationship has helped the leaders of the world’s two biggest oil exporters conclude and maintain the Opec+ energy deal.

Mr Trump has called on Saudi Arabia and Opec to lower oil prices, a potential bargaining chip for Russia in the talks.

Both the Crown Prince and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan have maintained neutrality throughout the Ukraine war, refraining from joining the West in criticising and sanctioning Russia. Both leaders have also maintained regular contacts with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Sheikh Mohamed visited Russia several times during the war, saying during his last visit in October 2024 that he was ready to support efforts to find peace in Ukraine.

The UAE also successfully mediated prisoner exchanges.

Neither country is a member of the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Mr Putin, preventing his visits to a number of countries, including Brazil and South Africa.

At the current stage, the Russian sources dismissed Turkey, a Nato member that hosted failed peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in March 2022, as a possible venue.

Russian analyst Fyodor Lukyanov, the influential scientific director for the Valdai Discussion Club, whose members regularly meet Mr Putin, said Mr Trump and Mr Putin do not have much choice.

“Almost the entire West is involved on the side of Ukraine. Therefore, all the traditional venues where such things used to take place, like Helsinki, Geneva and Vienna, are not suitable,” he was quoted by official Tass news agency as saying.

Mr Lukyanov noted that while Saudi Arabia and the UAE play a very important role, both are very close US allies, which raises some questions from the Russian side.

“However, as a venue for negotiations, it is probably quite conceivable,” he added. Mr Lukyanov declined to comment on the Reuters story. REUTERS