Putin and Qatar's emir to discuss Ukraine and energy

By Guy Faulconbridge and Anastasia Lyrchikova

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani will discuss efforts to find a possible peace deal to end the war in Ukraine when they meet in Moscow on Thursday, Russia and Qatar said.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who says he wants to be remembered as a peacemaker, has repeatedly said he wants to end the "bloodbath" of the three-year-old war in Ukraine, though Moscow has said it is not easy to agree a settlement.

The Kremlin said that Putin's talks with the Qatari emir in Moscow would focus on "topical issues" with an emphasis on trade as well as on a number of issues on the international agenda.

"There will definitely be an exchange of views between Putin and the Emir of Qatar on Ukrainian affairs," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "There will also be an exchange of views on regional affairs."

"The region is replete with conflict potential. And Qatar plays a very big and important role in attempts to resolve many situations," Peskov said.

Putin last met the emir in Astana in July on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

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.

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

"The Russia-Ukraine conflict has led to a global supply chain crisis due to rising prices for energy and basic commodities," Khulaifi told TASS.

"Our ongoing dialogue in this area helps stabilise energy markets, which in turn supports the resilience of the global economy and helps overcome the supply chain crisis."

Khulaifi noted that Qatar had played an important role as a mediator between the United States and Iran, as well as with Russia, in an attempt to find a peaceful solution to the Iranian crisis.

The Kremlin said it highly appreciated the "confidential dialogue on many topics, including the most sensitive ones" with Qatar.