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Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates, delivered an important message to the world regarding the Ukrainian crisis during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The President of the United Arab Emirates affirmed his country’s readiness to play any role in resolving the Ukrainian crisis and alleviating its humanitarian consequences. He emphasized that “the United Arab Emirates will always be present” to calm the situation and support stability in that crisis.

The message came during the reception of the Russian President Vladimir Putin by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates, today in St. Petersburg, as part of his working visit to the Russian Federation.

The message from the President of the United Arab Emirates, who is known as the “man of peace” due to his pioneering initiatives to support peace and tolerance around the world, renewed hope in the hearts of the world to reduce the intensity of the Ukrainian crisis.

Thanks and praise

The message from the President of the United Arab Emirates came after the Russian President thanked the Emirati President for his contribution to resolving a number of humanitarian issues in the midst of the Ukrainian conflict, especially regarding prisoner exchanges, according to Russia Today and Sputnik news agency.

Putin addressed Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, saying, “I would like to thank you for your efforts to resolve humanitarian issues in the context of events in the Ukrainian direction related to prisoner exchanges and other humanitarian issues of this kind. This matters to specific individuals, and that is the main thing. Thank you very much for this.”

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan reaffirmed the United Arab Emirates’ firm approach to supporting peace, stability, and political solutions to conflicts and disputes, including the Ukrainian crisis, through de-escalation, dialogue, and diplomacy.

He emphasized the importance of intensifying efforts to mitigate the humanitarian consequences of the crisis and supporting initiatives for prisoner exchanges between the parties.

During the meeting, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Russian President reviewed the course of UAE-Russian relations within the framework of the strategic partnership between the two countries, emphasizing their commitment to further developing these relations.

The UAE President expressed his country’s keenness to build cooperation and partnerships with the Russian Federation and various countries around the world to enhance common interests and achieve development and prosperity for all.

He expressed his wishes for “a calmer world so that we can double our relations and support them” between the two countries.

Pioneering Efforts

Since the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates, has been leading efforts on various fronts to push for a peaceful solution to end the crisis. His recent visit to Russia, where the Ukrainian crisis topped the agenda, is a testament to these efforts.

These efforts reached a crucial stage after the President of the UAE held talks with Vladimir Putin during his visit to Russia on October 11th of last year, as well as multiple phone conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Both leaders welcomed the mediation role played by the UAE to resolve the crisis.

These efforts resulted in a significant step forward with the successful UAE-mediated prisoner exchange between the two countries four months ago. In February of last year, UAE mediation successfully facilitated a prisoner swap deal between Russia and Ukraine, resulting in the return of 63 “sensitive category” prisoners to Russia in exchange for the release of 116 prisoners by Ukraine.

Ukrainian Appreciation

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to Russia comes just four days after an official UAE delegation, led by Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of Ukraine, visited Ukraine. This visit is the latest episode in the continuous efforts of the UAE to push for a sustainable peaceful solution to the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and support ongoing humanitarian efforts to alleviate the severity of the crisis.

On June 12th of the current year, President Zelensky received Mariam bint Mohamed Almheiri, the Minister of Climate Change and Environment, who headed a delegation from the UAE during her official visit to Ukraine. The meeting discussed the friendship and cooperation between the two countries and ways to enhance and develop them in various fields. It also addressed the humanitarian situation resulting from the Ukrainian crisis, especially its impact on children, within the framework of the UAE’s humanitarian support to alleviate the humanitarian consequences for those affected by the Ukrainian people.

President Zelensky expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the UAE and its leadership for their continuous humanitarian support to the Ukrainian people, particularly in the current circumstances. He commended the active role played by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE, in achieving peace and stability worldwide.

During the visit, Mariam Almheiri, along with the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, who is also the head of the Olena Zelenska Foundation for charitable organizations, discussed UAE humanitarian support for the care of children affected by the Ukrainian crisis. They presented new rehabilitation projects for the reconstruction of damaged hospitals and schools, as well as updates on one of the projects undertaken by the foundation called “Family Orphanages.” The project aims to build buildings that accommodate orphaned children and has been funded by the UAE with a donation of 4 million dollars to build 10 buildings that can accommodate around 100 children.

Olena Zelenska expressed her gratitude to the UAE, its leadership, government, and people, for their humanitarian and relief support since the beginning of the crisis to the Ukrainian people and Ukrainian refugees in neighboring countries. She praised the pivotal role played by the UAE in achieving peace and stability worldwide.

On her part, Mariam Almheiri affirmed that the UAE, under the guidance of its leadership, continues its humanitarian efforts in Ukraine by providing 2,500 computers to assist students in remote learning and continue their education. This contributes to alleviating the humanitarian consequences of the current crisis, reflecting the UAE’s ethical values and its established humanitarian approach on the international stage, providing aid and assistance to all people in various circumstances.

Efforts that do not cease

Visits to Russia and Ukraine are part of a comprehensive Emirati system on various political, parliamentary, and humanitarian levels, to push for a peaceful political solution to end the Ukrainian crisis.

On the parliamentary level, in March of last year, Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, the President of the Emirati Parliamentary Division at the Inter-Parliamentary Union, chaired the eighth meeting of the team concerned with the peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian crisis within the framework of the 146th Assembly of the Union and the 211th session of the Governing Council held in the Bahraini capital, Manama.

Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi was elected in April of last year as the President of the International Parliamentary Union’s Working Group concerned with the peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian crisis, in a move that reflects international confidence in the efforts of the United Arab Emirates to resolve the crisis.

Humanitarian Support

The United Arab Emirates supports efforts to reach a political solution to the crisis that serves regional and international security and stability.

In parallel with its ongoing diplomatic, political, and parliamentary efforts to resolve the crisis, the United Arab Emirates is also active in humanitarian efforts to alleviate its impact.

As part of those efforts, the announcement by the President of the UAE in October of last year to provide $100 million to Ukrainian civilians, alongside sending three aircraft carrying relief supplies, including 2,520 power generators and personal supplies.

The United Arab Emirates has also provided urgent relief supplies to those affected through 11 relief aircraft, including 540 tons of medical and food supplies, and 94 tons of non-food items, in addition to sending six ambulances to support Ukrainian refugees in Poland, Moldova, and Bulgaria.

Three months ago, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received Olena Zelenska, the wife of the Ukrainian President and the head of the Olena Zelenska Foundation for charitable organizations.

During the meeting, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was briefed on the humanitarian repercussions of the Ukrainian crisis, especially on children.

He directed the allocation of $4 million to care for children affected by the crisis for the benefit of one of the projects undertaken by the foundation under the name “Family Homes for Orphans,” which will contribute to the construction of 10 buildings to accommodate around 100 children.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan affirmed that the United Arab Emirates will spare no effort to work towards mitigating the humanitarian impact of this crisis at all levels and actively contribute to any international or regional effort aimed at containing these effects, based on its ethical values and its established humanitarian approach on the international stage.

Sequential directives materialize the humanitarianism of an inspiring leader and embody the firm values and principles of the United Arab Emirates in helping and supporting people in need.

International efforts… United Nations Security Council

The visit of the President of the United Arab Emirates to Russia coincides with his country’s presidency of the United Nations Security Council for the month of June. The Security Council is considered the highest international body concerned with maintaining international security and peace, and this is the second time the UAE has held the presidency after leading it in March of last year, amid the UAE’s diligent efforts to resolve the crisis.

During the UAE’s presidency of the United Nations Security Council throughout March, the Council led, in collaboration with other members, efforts to enhance responses to urgent global security challenges, including the Ukrainian crisis.

The UAE worked tirelessly to de-escalate tensions resulting from the situation in Ukraine and to return to dialogue and negotiations, prioritizing the protection of civilians and ensuring that all parties respect international humanitarian law.

Several sessions were held by the Council to discuss developments regarding Ukraine on March 4th, 7th, 18th, and 30th, during which the international community was called upon to make every effort to alleviate the humanitarian crisis there.

The UAE called for allowing humanitarian aid to reach those in need without any restrictions imposed by cease-fire agreements, as well as ensuring the safety of humanitarian workers.

Strong emphasis was placed on restraint and achieving an immediate cessation of hostilities throughout Ukraine, along with activating diplomatic channels to end the conflict in a sustainable manner.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s efforts to resolve the Ukrainian crisis are in line with the principles of the UAE’s “Fifty-Year Charter,” which outlines the economic, political, and developmental path for the UAE for the next fifty years.

The tenth principle states that “calling for peace, negotiations, dialogue, and conflict resolution is the foundation of the UAE’s foreign policy, and working with regional partners and global friends to consolidate regional and global peace and stability is a fundamental driver of its foreign policy.”

Growing Relations

This is the second visit of the President of the UAE to Russia within 9 months, following his visit on October 11th of last year, which witnessed an important summit between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The summit between the two leaders during the current visit is the eleventh since Putin assumed the presidency of Russia in 2012 (third presidential term).

These visits and summits have laid solid foundations for the strategic relationship between the two countries, culminating in the signing of a strategic partnership agreement between them during Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to Russia in early June 2018.

As a result of this partnership, Putin visited the UAE in October 2019, marking his first visit to the Gulf region in almost 12 years.

The visit also coincides with the participation of a high-level UAE delegation led by Sheikh Mohammed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, a member of the Supreme Council and the ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, in the “St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2023” in the Russian Federation. The UAE is participating as the guest of honor in the current session, which takes place from June 14th to 17th.