Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Friday to discuss the situation in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin said, Anadolu reports. Discussing Ukraine, Putin briefed Zayed Al Nahyan on what Moscow calls its “special military operation.” The Kremlin said Putin also highlighted Kyiv’s increased “terrorist activities” targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. Putin thanked the UAE leadership for helping facilitate prisoner-of-war exchanges between Russia and Ukraine. READ: Russian, Iranian foreign ministers discuss rising tensions in Gulf region