-
Putin praises Saudi-Russian relations, condemns Aramco attacks, in interview

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Saudi-Russian relations and condemned the Saudi Aramco attacks in a wide-ranging interview with Al Arabiya broadcast on Sunday ahead of his visit to the Kingdom.
“We consider Saudi Arabia a friendly nation. I have very good relations with both the King
“We have been making good headway practically in all fields,” he added, referring to progress in Saudi-Russian ties and joint economic projects.
Putin also condemned the attacks on Saudi Aramco oil facilities and suggested that seizing tankers and attacking oil infrastructure would not undermine positive Saudi-Russian relations.
“If anyone thinks that seizing tankers and attacking oil infrastructure can in any way affect cooperation between Russia and our Arab friends, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, that they can undermine or break down our cooperation with OPEC+, then they are profoundly wrong,” said Putin, addressing a question on regional security.
“On the contrary, we will forge ever closer ties because our main goal is to stabilize global energy markets,” he added, saying that Russia remained committed to the initiatives of the OPEC+ group of oil producers driven by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Putin’s interview came ahead of his visit to Saudi Arabia on Monday.
He will be meeting King Salman and the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince, the Kremlin’s top foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov told journalists on Thursday.
Saudi-Russian relations
Putin described his visit to the Kingdom as the return trip to King Salman’s “historic” visit to Moscow in 2017 and praised the upward trajectory of Saudi-Russian relations, citing a number of joint economic projects under development.
“Our Direct Investment Fund and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia have jointly established a $10 billion platform. $2 billion have already been invested. Work is underway on other projects, and some promising and interesting projects have already been implemented.”
The PIF is Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and its largest vehicle of investment.
Putin also said that Sibur Holding, Russia’s largest petrochemicals company, was exploring the possibility of building a petrochemical facility in Saudi Arabia with investments of more than $1 billion.
Putin went on to praise bilateral relations in defense and military cooperation, as well as regional cooperation.
“We are fostering a partnership in the trust-based, sensitive area of military and defense cooperation,” said Putin.
“I am confident that my visit will help to build up the momentum both in developing bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation in international organizations,” he added.
Aramco attacks and oil price
Putin condemned the attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities in September.
“We condemn any such actions, end of story. This is the official position … regardless of who stood behind the incident,” said Putin.
However, he reiterated that Russia would not point the finger at any one nation, despite the international community widely blaming Iran for the attacks.
When pressed by Al Arabiya’s Tomaihi on how Russia, with its sophisticated intelligence apparatus and relations with Iran, could not know who was behind the Aramco attacks, Putin responded by insisting Russia did not know the perpetrator of the attacks.
Putin also said that he had discussed the incident with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Moscow was “ready to share anything that might be necessary, everything we have for a thorough investigation.”
Saudi Arabia invited international investigators to visit the site of the attacks in Abqaiq and Hijrat Khurais in September. Countries including the US, UK, France, and Germany attributed the attacks to Iran after the visit.
Putin added to Al Arabiya’s Tomaihi that the attacks had only a minimal impact on the price of oil.
“If someone may have wanted to deal a blow to the oil market, they failed. There were indeed some fluctuations in prices, but I do not think it was anything too serious, even though the initial response was quite strong,” said Putin.
“We need to respond to any attempt to destabilize the market. Russia will certainly continue working with Saudi Arabia and other partners and friends in the Arab world to counter any attempts to wreak havoc in the market,” he added.
Syria and regional cooperation
Putin also praised Saudi Arabia’s role in formulating a political settlement in Syria.
“I would like to emphasize the positive role Saudi Arabia has played in resolving the Syrian crisis … without Saudi Arabia’s contribution towards a Syrian settlement, it would have been impossible to achieve a positive trend,” said Putin, who thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their “constructive approach.”
While Russia was close to Iran and Turkey, Putin acknowledged, the progress made in Syria required cooperation with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, he said.
Russia is a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has supported his regime during the war in Syria.
Putin was also asked about Russia’s role in the Arabian Gulf. While he said that Moscow maintains “very friendly relations with all the countries in the region, including Iran and the Arab states, such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE,” he downplayed its role as a mediator between Iran and the rest of the region.
The wide-ranging interview also discussed the Iran nuclear deal, US President Donald Trump, US-Russia relations, and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Putin is set to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Monday, before traveling to the UAE on Tuesday.
source:By Tommy Hilton
You May Also Like
Popular Posts
Caricature
BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
opinion
Report
ads
Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the new updates!