Saudi Arabia receives the Russian Interior Minister

MOSCOW (Reuters) – A senior Russian official facing sanctions in the West amid Moscow’s war on Ukraine has visited Saudi Arabia and held talks with his counterpart in the kingdom, Russian state media reported early Tuesday.

The visit of Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev to Riyadh came a few days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a speech to the Arab League summit held in the Red Sea city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

The two visits show how Gulf Arab states, traditionally security clients of the United States, are maintaining ties with Moscow amid the Ukraine war.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency said Kolokoltsev met Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud.

The state media report stated that during the session, ways to enhance security cooperation paths between the two countries’ ministries of interior were discussed, in addition to discussing a number of issues of common concern.

There was no immediate reaction from the Russian media to the visit.

The United States imposed sanctions on Kolokoltsev, 62, since 2018, as part of a series of sanctions over Russia’s activity in both Syria and Ukraine.

The US Treasury says Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand and the United Kingdom have also sanctioned Kolokoltsev.

As interior minister, Kolokoltsev cracked down on independent media in Russia, including targeting outlet Proekt in 2021 as it prepared to publish an investigation into his alleged wealth.