Officially, Moscow has repeatedly denied any direct contacts with Washington, particularly regarding the preparation of a phone call between Trump and Putin, and subsequently a potential meeting this year. However, according to sources, high-ranking Russian officials have visited both Saudi Arabia and the UAE in recent weeks.
Russia does indeed have some resistance to the idea of a potential meeting due to warnings from certain diplomats regarding the close military and security ties, as reported by intelligence, between the two Middle Eastern countries and the US. At the same time, both Trump and Putin maintain friendly relations with the leaders of Arab states, the agency reports.
Reuters also noted that none of the mentioned countries are members of the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Putin on March 17, 2023.