Saudi Arabia and UAE Considered as Venues for Potential Trump-Putin Summit

Watan-According to a Reuters report on Monday, citing two Russian sources, a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is anticipated, with Russia considering Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates as potential hosts. This development follows President Trump’s recent statement that his administration has “meetings and talks scheduled with various parties, including Ukraine and Russia.”

President Trump has expressed his intention to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible and has indicated his readiness to meet with President Putin. In response, President Putin congratulated Trump on his election and expressed his willingness to meet to discuss issues related to Ukraine and energy.

While Russian officials have consistently denied any direct communication with the United States regarding preparations for a phone call between Trump and Putin prior to a potential meeting later this year, the two Russian sources, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, revealed that senior Russian officials have visited Saudi Arabia and the UAE in recent weeks.

One of the sources noted that there is some opposition within Russia to this idea, as diplomats and intelligence officials point to the close military and security ties that both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have with the United States.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have not yet responded to requests for comment, and the Kremlin has also declined to comment.

On Sunday, President Trump mentioned that his administration has “meetings and talks scheduled with various parties, including Ukraine and Russia.” When asked about these remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that “there are apparently plans” for communication.

The first foreign leader President Trump contacted after taking office was Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom he described as a “fantastic guy” during a speech via video link to the World Economic Forum in Davos.

In September, President Putin, who visited Saudi Arabia and the UAE in 2023, expressed gratitude to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for assisting in organizing the largest U.S.-Russian prisoner exchange since the Cold War.

The personal relationship between President Putin and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has developed since 2015, when the prince first visited Russia.

This relationship has facilitated agreements such as the OPEC+ energy deal between the world’s two largest oil exporters. President Trump has previously called on Saudi Arabia and OPEC to lower oil prices, which could serve as a bargaining point for Russia in future discussions.

Both Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan have maintained neutrality throughout the Ukraine conflict, refraining from joining Western nations in criticizing and sanctioning Russia. They have also maintained regular contact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Russia several times during the conflict, stating during his last visit in October 2024 that he was ready to support efforts to find peace in Ukraine. The UAE has also successfully mediated prisoner exchanges.

Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE are members of the International Criminal Court, which has issued an arrest warrant for President Putin, preventing his visits to several countries, including Brazil and South Africa.

At this stage, the Russian sources dismissed Turkey, a NATO member that hosted unsuccessful peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in March 2022, as a possible venue for the summit.

Russian analyst Fyodor Lukyanov, the scientific director for the Valdai Discussion Club, whose members regularly meet with President Putin, noted that Trump and Putin have limited options for a meeting venue. He stated, “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.”

Lukyanov added that while Saudi Arabia and the UAE play a significant role and are close U.S. allies, which raises some questions from the Russian side, “as a venue for negotiations, it is probably quite conceivable.”