Overview

• President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan traveled to Russia for his second visit in under a year and met with President Vladimir Putin to reinforce their 2018 strategic partnership.
• Bilateral trade reached $11.5 billion in 2025, and the UAE pledged to double that turnover within five years, extending cooperation in energy, investment and technology.
• The U.S. Treasury reports that UAE companies shipped over $5 million of export-controlled American goods to Russia in late 2022, fueling Washington’s sanctions-evasion concerns.
• Abu Dhabi has maintained its neutral stance on the Ukraine war, refused to join Western sanctions and provided a haven for Russian oligarchs and expatriates.
• Emirati mediation has secured the return of more than 4,181 captives since 2022, bolstering the UAE’s role as a broker in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.