President Vladimir V. Putin will make a rare trip to the Middle East on Wednesday saying he would discuss bilateral relations, oil and international affairs in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
On Thursday in Moscow, Mr. Putin will host President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran, the leader of another key player in the region.
Mr. Putin, who has not traveled beyond China, Iran and the former Soviet states since he launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, will visit both the Emirates and Saudi Arabia in one day, Dmitri S. Peskov, his spokesman, told journalists during a briefing on Tuesday.
