Caption: Kind-hearted Putin gives his coat to PM of UAE
Credit : East2West/Reuters
The always kind Vladimir Putin gave his coat to the billionaire president of the United Arab Emirates as he felt the cold outside a Russian palace.
As Putin gives the West the literal cold shoulder he handed over his luxury Italian coat to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in chilly St Petersburg.
The sheik, from the fourth wealthiest family on the planet with an estimated £27 billion fortune, placed the coat over his dress with a smile as he left.
Mohamed opted for Putin’s coat rather than the light-colored coat held by his own staff standing outside.
This will undoubtedly be a major relief for countless people worried whether Putin will help hard-hit billionaires keep warm this winter.
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi met with the president at Konstantinovsky Palace yesterday to discuss their ‘mutual concern’ over the ‘Ukraine crisis’.
The sheik threw the coat around his shoulders with a smile (Picture: Rossiya1)
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Zayed Al Nahyan – one of the world’s richest man – during a meeting in St Petersburg, Russia Photographer: east2west news Provider: Rossiya1 Source: east2west news Copyright: east2west news (Credits: Rossiya1)
The Gulf state’s ruler said he had been in Russia for talks on ‘several issues of mutual concern, including the Ukraine crisis’, he tweeted yesterday.
He stressed ‘the importance of engaging in dialogue to reduce tensions and arrive at a diplomatic solution’.
While Putin was keeping Mohamed toasty, Ukraine and much of Europe are bracing themselves for a cold and dark winter ahead as natural gas supplies fall.
Natural gas is used to keep the lights switched on, boilers hot and ovens roaring in countless homes.
But Russia has cut off most gas pipeline shipments, meaning many countries are reducing gas use in case Russia turns off gas taps for good.
While the Kremlin’s cruel missile strike on Monday and Tuesday hit about 30% of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure that provides heat, water and electricity to millions.
About 50% of Ukraine’s gas fields are in Kharkiv, four miles from the frontlines.
The two rulers met to discuss Ukraine (Picture: Kremlin Pool/UPI/Shutterstock)
As Ukraine burns amid the war, people fear the cold winter ahead (Picture: AP)
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has a fortune worth £27,000,000 (Picture: Kremlin Pool/UPI/Shutterstock)
Energy officials have urged Ukrainians not to use household appliances such as ovens and washing machines to save electricity.
While the State Forest Resources Agency has chopped down hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of firewood to help keep Ukrainians warm.
Adding to Ukraine’s list of energy woes, the EU has reduced imports of Russian gas so bloc members aren’t held hostage.
But as Ukraine buys most of its natural gas from its European neighbors, that means its energy supplies will shrink even further.
At the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok last month, Putin said: ‘We will not supply gas, oil, coal, heating oil — we will not supply anything.
‘Will there be any political decisions that contradict the contracts? Yes, we just won’t fulfill them. We will not supply anything at all if it contradicts our interests.
‘We would only have one thing left to do: as in the famous Russian fairy tale, we would let the wolf’s tail freeze.’
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Putin wasn’t going to stand idly by as the UAE leader went to wear his own, well, coat.