DUBAI: The UAE is providing $100 million worth of additional relief for Ukrainians affected by the ongoing crisis.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE President, said he believes the supplementary aid emphasized the importance of solidarity in times of war and conflict, and the UAE’s continued efforts to mitigate the humanitarian impact of the Ukraine crisis, state news agency WAM reported.

The UAE leader had previously visited St. Petersburg to meet with his counterpart President Vladimir Putin in a push for diplomacy and dialogue among all parties to end the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Sheikh Mohamed also had a phone call with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier in the week where they agreed on the importance of de-escalating and reducing tension between Kyiv and Moscow.

The aid announcement comes as top UAE envoy, Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, pushed for a de-escalation of the conflict during talks with a senior Russian diplomat.

Gargash took a similar track to the president in the UAE’s peace-building initiative when he met with Mikhail Bogdanov, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation and Special Presidential Representative on the Middle East.

In his meeting with the Russian diplomat, Dr. Gargash stressed the UAE’s support for peace and stability at regional and global levels and exerting all possible efforts to promote de-escalation in various parts of the world, WAM reported.

Dr. Gargash highlighted the need for continuing serious consultations among parties involved in the Ukraine crisis to reach a peaceful settlement.