Putin embarks on a rare trip to the Middle East

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, is making a rare visit to the United Arab Emirates, and is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia as well.

Putin is expected to discuss with the president of the Emirates about the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as oil production.

The Emirates are currently hosting the United Nations Climate Summit, but the Kremlin has not indicated whether Putin will attend.

He has rarely left Russia since March, when the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him.

This court has accused him of illegally deporting Ukrainian children to Russia - a decision that amounts to a war crime - but neither the Emirates nor Saudi Arabia recognize the court's jurisdiction.

The Russian leader has recently avoided several international summits, including BRICS in South Africa in August, and the G20 summit in India in September.

The trip comes as Russia seeks to expand its influence and undermine the West's attempts to isolate it.

Putin told the President of the Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, that "our relations have reached unprecedented levels".

At the meetings in the Emirates, trade and oil will be on the agenda.

According to the Kremlin, the Emirates are Russia's main partners in the Arab world.

Kremlin officials have said that Putin will also meet with Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi on Thursday to discuss the war in Gaza.

Putin has only visited Ukraine, Iran and China since the start of the war on Ukrainian soil in February 2022.

Russian President Vladimir Putin calls the war a "special military operation" to demilitarize Ukraine.

The West has responded to Russia, hitting the economy of this country with harsh sanctions.

As a result of the war, thousands of people have died and millions more have been displaced from their homes./rel