Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that a planned visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Russia was changed at the last minute, prompting him to visit Riyadh for talks with the leader of the world's largest oil-exporting country. The visit, which was hastily arranged for Putin in the Middle East and involved Russian fighter jets, was shrouded in mystery, and the urgent reason for his rare trip outside Russia was not immediately clear.
In Riyadh, Putin, smiling, told the Saudi Crown Prince, "We were waiting for you in Moscow." He added, "I know that events necessitated a modification of those plans, but as I said, nothing can prevent the development of our friendly relations." He continued, "But the next meeting should be in Moscow." The Saudi Crown Prince, through a Russian translator, replied that he was certainly ready for that. Putin responded, "Then we have agreed."
According to the Saudi Press Agency, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman praised the coordination and joint political action between the two countries "which has helped alleviate many tensions in the Middle East." He remarked that the two nations "share many interests and several issues that we work on together for the benefit of Russia, the Kingdom, the Middle East, and the world as well."
Putin's meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince comes after a decline in oil prices, despite the OPEC+ coalition, which includes oil-exporting countries and allies led by Russia, announcing further production cuts. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, mentioned after the talks that cooperation within OPEC+ would continue but did not provide details about the visit. Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry showcased an Ilyushin-96 airplane belonging to the Kremlin, surrounded by Sukhoi-35S fighter jets during Putin's flight from Russia to the UAE, the first stop on his trip.
