RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed led mediation efforts that secured the release of two prisoners between the US and Russia, a joint statement issued by both countries’ foreign ministries said on Thursday.
“The ministries said the success of the mediation efforts was a reflection of the mutual and solid friendship between their two countries and the United States and Russia,” the statement said.
“They also highlighted the important role played by the leaderships of the two brotherly countries in promoting dialogue between all parties,” it added.
US basketball star Brittney Griner arrived in Abu Dhabi by private plane from Moscow on Thursday after she was released by Russian authorities, the statement confirmed, while Russian citizen Viktor Bout came in a separate private plane from Washington after he was released by US authorities, in the presence of specialists from the Kingdom and the UAE.
“The UAE and Saudi Arabian foreign ministries expressed the thanks of their respective governments to the governments of the US and Russia for their cooperation and response, and for the joint mediation efforts made by the leaderships of the two countries,” the statement also said.
Saudi crown prince, UAE president led mediation in US basketball star Griner, Russia’s Viktor Bout prisoner swap
https://arab.news/4e8kj
Saudi crown prince, UAE president led mediation in US basketball star Griner, Russia’s Viktor Bout prisoner swap
- Brittney Griner arrived in Abu Dhabi by private plane from Moscow after her release
- Viktor Bout arrived on another private plane from Washington
Saudi defense minister calls on Southern Transitional Council to de-escalate in Yemen
- In a statement addressed “to our people in Yemen” and published on X, Prince Khalid said Saudi Arabia’s intervention came at the request of Yemen’s internationally recognized government
DUBAI: Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman called on the Southern Transitional Council (STC) to respond to Saudi-Emirati mediation efforts and de-escalate tensions in eastern Yemen, urging the group to withdraw its forces from camps in Hadramout and Al-Mahra and hand them over peacefully to local authorities.
In a statement addressed “to our people in Yemen” and published on X, Prince Khalid said Saudi Arabia’s intervention came at the request of Yemen’s internationally recognized government and aimed to restore state authority across the country through the Decisive Storm and Restoring Hope operations.
He said the Kingdom has consistently treated the southern issue as a “just political cause” that must be resolved through dialogue and consensus, citing the Riyadh Conference and Riyadh Agreement as frameworks that ensured southern participation in governance and rejected the use of force.
The minister warned that recent events in Hadramout and Al-Mahra since early December had caused divisions that undermine the fight against Yemen’s common enemy and harm the southern cause. He praised southern leaders and groups who, he said, have acted responsibly to support de-escalation and preserve social stability.
Prince Khalid reaffirmed that the southern issue would remain part of any comprehensive political settlement in Yemen and stressed that it must be resolved through trust-building and national consensus, not actions that could fuel further conflict.
(إلى أهلِنا في اليمن)
— Khalid bin Salman خالد بن سلمان (@kbsalsaud) December 27, 2025
استجابةً لطلب الشرعية اليمنية قامت المملكة بجمع الدول الشقيقة للمشاركة في تحالف دعم الشرعية بجهودٍ ضخمة في إطار عمليتي (عاصفة الحزم وإعادة الأمل) في سبيل استعادة سيطرة الدولة اليمنية على كامل أراضيها، وكان لتحرير المحافظات الجنوبية دورٌ محوريٌ في تحقيق ذلك.…
