Qatari emir arrives in Moscow for talks with Putin on Ukraine and Middle East

Kremlin spokesperson says the two leaders will have a “serious conversation” on a range of issues

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani looks on as he attends a press conference with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (not pictured), in Tehran, Iran. February 19, 2025. REUTERS/File

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani arrived in Moscow on Thursday for talks with President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine and Middle East issues, on a trip that the Kremlin described as very important.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the two leaders would have a "serious conversation" on a range of issues and sign various agreements.

"It is difficult to overestimate the role of Qatar as a whole now in many regional and even world affairs. Qatar is our good partner, Russian-Qatari relations are developing very dynamically, and contacts between the heads of state are quite frequent," Peskov told journalists.

Qatar has made a series of attempts to mediate between Russia and Ukraine and has helped arrange the return of children from both countries who were separated from their parents during the war.

Russia and Qatar said this week that the leaders would discuss efforts to find a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants to end the "bloodbath", but has yet to achieve a breakthrough. Moscow has said it is not easy to agree on a settlement.

Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed Al-Khulaifi told the TASS state news agency that the emir's talks with Putin would touch on Ukraine, Syria, the Gaza Strip and energy such as liquefied natural gas (LNG).