JEDDAH: The president of the UAE called on Tuesday for dialogue, negotiation and diplomacy among all parties to end the war in Ukraine.
On a visit to Russia for talks in St. Petersburg with President Vladimir Putin, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan said his country sought to contribute to strengthening the foundations of peace and stability in the world.
“We discussed several issues of mutual concern, including the Ukraine crisis, and the importance of engaging in dialogue to reduce tensions and arrive at a diplomatic solution,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the president, said Sheikh Mohammed’s visit had been scheduled within the general framework of bilateral relations, but that the war in Ukraine required an urgent solution.
The two leaders also reviewed regional and international issues, including last week’s decision by OPEC+ — the oil producers’ alliance led by Saudi Arabia and Russia — to cut output by 2 million barrels a day from November.
The decision had been criticized by US President Joe Biden and other American politicians, but Putin denied on Tuesday that the alliance was acting against anyone else’s interests.
“Our actions are aimed at creating stability in the global energy markets, so that both consumers of energy resources and those involved in production, suppliers to the global markets, feel calm, stable and confident … so that supply and demand would be balanced.”
Elsewhere, Turkey on Tuesday called for a ceasefire in Ukraine just days ahead of a meeting between Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Astana, Kazakhstan. Erdogan has a good working relationship with the Russian leader, despite disagreements on issues such as Syria, and also has good ties with Kyiv.
Turkey has stayed neutral throughout the conflict in Ukraine despite being a NATO member, but increasing Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities are further diminishing the chances for a diplomatic solution.
“Unfortunately both sides have quickly moved away from diplomacy,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday. “The situation gets worse and more complicated. A ceasefire must be established as soon as possible, and the sooner the better.
“There must be a just peace for Ukraine. Where is the war going on? It’s going on on Ukrainian soil. A process that will ensure Ukraine’s border and territorial integrity should start. Without a ceasefire, it is not possible to talk about those issues in a healthy way: a viable ceasefire and a just peace.”
On the ground in Ukraine on Tuesday there was a second day of Russian missile strikes, although with less intensity than on Monday, when dozens of air raids killed 19 people, injured more than 100 and knocked out power supplies across the country.