UAE president arrives in Moscow on official visit

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Moscow on Thursday for an official visit to Russia, according to the state news agency WAM.

His aircraft was escorted by Russian military jets after entering the country’s airspace, a customary gesture marking official visits by foreign leaders.

The president is accompanied by a senior delegation that includes Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, managing director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs; and Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, adviser to the UAE president, along with ministers and other high-ranking officials.

The visit comes weeks after the UAE hosted talks in Abu Dhabi on January 23-24 involving officials from Russia, Ukraine and the United States, aimed at exploring pathways toward ending the war in Ukraine.

Those discussions, facilitated by Washington, underscored the UAE’s growing role as a diplomatic intermediary in regional and international conflicts.

Sheikh Mohamed last visited Russia in 2025, when both sides reaffirmed their long-standing partnership and signed a Trade in Services and Investment Agreement designed to expand bilateral economic cooperation.