Ukraine's Zelensky, UAE president discuss economic cooperation

DUBAI — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Monday to discuss economic cooperation, the UAE's official news agency said.

Sheikh Mohammed emphasised in the meeting the need to "build effective partnerships with the countries of the world", according to the WAM news agency.

The Emirati president also spoke of "the importance of reaching peaceful solutions to crises" around the world, while Zelensky thanked the United Arab Emirates for its "contribution" to the exchange of prisoners between Kyiv and Moscow, WAM said.

It added that the two countries also signed an "economic partnership agreement".

Zelensky arrived in the UAE ahead of Tuesday talks between US and Russian officials in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

Washington and Moscow have said their top diplomats, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will lead the delegations.

A source close to the Saudi government told AFP it expected the officials to hold a preparatory meeting ahead of a possible summit between US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin.

As Moscow and Washington are preparing for a summit between their two leaders, Europe and Kyiv are worried they will try to settle the three-year war in Ukraine without them.

The Ukrainian president posted a video of himself getting off the plane in Abu Dhabi and holding talks with officials.

"Our top priority is bringing even more of our people home from captivity," Zelensky said on X.

"We will also focus on investments and economic partnership, as well as a large-scale humanitarian programme," he added.

The UAE has been an important mediator between Russia and Ukraine, helping with prisoner exchanges and the return of Ukrainian children from Russia throughout the three-year war.

Zelensky said last week that he planned to also visit Turkey and Saudi Arabia in the coming days.

On Friday he clarified that he had no plans to meet with Russian or US officials in Riyadh.