The call between the Qatari and Russian leaders came just days after Moscow faced a 24-hour mutiny.
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani called on Russia to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity during a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, Qatar News Agency reported, just days after Moscow faced a chaotic rebellion.
The call underscored the cooperative bilateral relations between the two nations and provided a platform for dialogue on the current regional and international landscape, including recent developments in Russia.
This comes following a series of high-level interactions between the two nations aimed at strengthening their strategic partnership.
Sheikh Tamim also reiterated Qatar’s stance on resolving disputes through dialogue and diplomatic means, pointing to Doha commitment to encouraging peaceful resolution of disputes to promote global stability and prevent escalations.
Latest on the Russian-Ukrainian war
The call on Monday came following days of tensions in Russia following a rebellion against the nation’s military.
On Saturday, Russia’s Wagner mercenary group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin announced plans to march into Moscow over discontent with Russian generals.
Shortly after, Wagner mercenaries crossed the border from their field camps in Ukraine and entered the southern city of Rostov-on-Don.
The situation rapidly unfolded as they seized control of the regional military command and military facilities in Voronezh, a city further north in the direction of Moscow.
The march of the mercenaries toward the capital prompted increased security measures in multiple regions, including Moscow, where residents were advised to avoid unnecessary travel.
Additionally, there were reports of elite Chechen troops mobilising to defend Moscow against the Wagner soldiers, sparking fears of serious escalations.
In response, President Vladimir Putin vowed to take action against those he considered to have “betrayed” Russia. However, the situation took an unexpected turn after talks were held with Prigozhin.
Later, video footage emerged purportedly showing Wagner troops leaving Rostov as a Belarusian brokered agreement extinguished tensions.
Earlier, Qatar expressed its concerns regarding turmoil in Russia that was instigated by the rebellion.
In a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Gulf nation urged all parties involved to demonstrate maximum restraint, rationality and to protect civilians from the fallout of any conflict.
“The State of Qatar is following, with deep concern, the developments in the Russian
Federation, which resulted from the mutiny against the army. Qatar Calls for maximum restraint, reason, and sparing civilians the repercussions of confrontation,” it read.
The Wagner Group, a private army of mercenaries, has been actively involved in the conflict in Ukraine alongside the regular Russian military.
Meanwhile on Monday, Ukraine announced that its forces had retaken control of the southeastern village of Rivnopil and were continuing to advance against Russian forces following the launch of a counteroffensive.
The village appeared to be Ukraine’s ninth recapture this month, with Ukrainian officials indicating that the main push is yet to come.
Kyiv also reclaimed land near Krasnohorivka in the Donetsk region that had been occupied since 2014, when fighting erupted with Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, but provided no further details.
Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, still controls large swathes of territory in the east and south of the country.
