President Sheikh Mohamed on Thursday met Russian President Vladimir Putin during an official visit to Moscow.
A reception ceremony was held at Vnukovo Airport, during which the UAE and Russian national anthems were played and a guard of honour was formed.
Sheikh Mohamed was later pictured meeting Mr Putin in the Kremlin after beginning his latest high-profile trip to the country.
The two men discussed ways to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries, in addition to regional and international issues of common interest, state news agency Wam reported. They reviewed co-operation in the fields of the economy, trade, investment, space and energy.
Sheikh Mohamed said UAE-Russia relations are based on mutual trust and respect, as well as deep-rooted and constructive engagement spanning more than 50 years. He also highlighted the UAE’s commitment to strengthening peace and stability around the world.
The two men discussed the importance of the Russia-Arab summit, scheduled for October, and reviewed the latest developments in the Middle East.
Sheikh Mohamed thanked Mr Putin for facilitating the UAE's mediation concerning the exchange of more than 4,000 prisoners between Russia and Ukraine, while Mr Putin thanked Sheikh Mohamed for the UAE’s prisoner swap efforts.
Mr Putin said Russia attaches great importance to developing its relations with the UAE, noting the two countries’ co-operation continues to grow. He also hosted a lunch for Sheikh Mohamed and the accompanying delegation.
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MOSCOW, RUSSIA - August 07, 2025: HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (L), bids farewell to HE Vladimir Putin, President of Russia (2nd L), after an official reception at the Kremlin. ( Abdulla Al Neyadi / UAE Presidential Court ) --- -
Mr Putin after an official reception at the Kremlin. -
Sheikh Mohamed departs from Vnukovo International Airport, near Moscow, concluding an official visit to Russia. -
Sheikh Mohamed meets Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, during an official visit to Moscow. -
Sheikh Mohamed holds talks with Mr Putin at the Kremlin. Also present are Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs, Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, and Ali bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Secretary General of Supreme Council for National Security -
Sheikh Mohamed greets a member of the Russian delegation -
Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Putin stand for the national anthems of both countries during the official visit -
Sheikh Mohamed is received by Sergei Udovenko, Commandant of the Moscow Kremlin -
Suhail Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, and Andrey Nikitin, Minister of Transport of Russia, exchange a land transport deal at the Kremlin -
Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister for Foreign Trade, and Maxim Reshetnikov, Russia's Minister of Economic Development, after signing an agreement on trade in services and investment -
Mr Putin greets Ali Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the UAE Supreme Council for National Security. The UAE delegation included Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology -
Ali Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the UAE Supreme Council for National Security, Ahmed Al Sayegh, UAE Minister of State, Mohamed Al Suwaidi, UAE Minister of Investment, Suhail Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Dr Ahmed Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, Faisal Al Bannai, Adviser to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs, Dr Mohamed Al Jaber, UAE Ambassador to Russia, and Staff Maj Gen Musallam Al Rashidi, Director of the Office of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, attend a reception at the Kremlin -
A billboard welcoming Sheikh Mohamed -
A motorcade carrying Sheikh Mohamed, travelling to the Kremlin -
Russian honour guards at the Kremlin -
The Kremlin -
Sheikh Mohamed greets a member of the Russian delegation, upon arrival at Vnukovo International Airport, near Moscow, for an official visit -
Members of the guard of honour stand to attention, as Sheikh Mohamed's aircraft arrives in Moscow -
Sheikh Mohamed and Denis Manturov, First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, at Vnukovo International Airport. Also present is Staff Maj Gen Humaid Al Rumaithi, Commander of the UAE Naval Forces -
Sheikh Mohamed with Mr Manturov on his arrival in Moscow -
Sheikh Mohamed stands as the national anthems are played at the airport -
The guard of honour for Sheikh Mohamed's arrival -
Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Manturov pass along the guard of honour -
Sheikh Mohamed is served with a traditional Russian pastry, as Mr Manturov looks on -
Traditional singers and musicians perform for Sheikh Mohamed at Vnukovo International Airport, on his arrival for an official visit to Russia
Agreements signed
On the sidelines of the visit, the two countries signed the Trade in Services and Investment Agreement.
Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, and Andrey Nikitin, Russian Minister of Transport, also signed an agreement on transport co-operation.
Sheikh Mohamed departed Moscow at the conclusion of his official visit, with military aircraft escorting his plane through Russian airspace.
Potential meeting with Trump
Speaking to television cameras, Mr Putin said the UAE was a possible site for a meeting with Donald Trump – in what would be his first meeting with a US president since Joe Biden in 2021.
"We have many friends who are ready to assist us in the organisation of an event of this kind. One of my friends is the President of the UAE," Mr Putin told Russian state media. "I believe that we will make a decision but it [the UAE] would be one of the fitting, quite suitable venues."
A Kremlin official said earlier that a Trump-Putin meeting could take place as early as next week. The announcement of a potential summit came on the eve of a White House deadline for Moscow to show progress towards ending the three-year-old war in Ukraine.
The UAE has this year mediated the exchange of hundreds of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine. Mr Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have thanked the UAE for its efforts in enabling the exchange.
Later that month, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, met Mr Putin in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, on behalf of President Sheikh Mohamed, where he attended the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting.
Sheikh Mohamed's delegation in Russia included:
- Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs
- Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad, Adviser to the President
- Ali Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for National Security
- Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology
- Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade
- Mohamed Al Suwaidi, Minister of Investment
- Ahmed Al Sayegh, Minister of State
- Faisal Al Bannai, Adviser to the President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs
- Dr Ahmed Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the President’s Office for Strategic Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office
- Dr Mohammed Al Jaber, UAE Ambassador to Russia
