RIYADH: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host a high-level meeting o address the ongoing Ukrainian crisis that has garnered global attention.
A statement issued by the Saudi Ministry of Media said the media involving National Security Advisors and representatives from friendly nations will be held in Jeddah on Saturday (today).
The statement said the initiative reflects the Kingdom’s unwavering commitment to humanitarian efforts and diplomacy as demonstrated by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
From the outset of the crisis, the Crown Prince engaged in meaningful communication with both Russian and Ukrainian leadership, underscoring Saudi Arabia’s willingness to employ its diplomatic expertise to facilitate a lasting resolution.
The Kingdom’s staunch support for initiatives aimed at mitigating the crisis’s far-reaching humanitarian consequences has also been resolute, the statement added.
The meeting is being convened with the expectation of fostering dialogue, enhancing cooperation, and facilitating the exchange of perspectives on an international platform.
The participants would be engaged in productive discussions, seeking avenues to address the Ukrainian crisis through diplomatic and political channels.
Talks starting in Saudi Arabia this weekend to find a peaceful settlement to end Russia’s war in Ukraine will be difficult, but Kyiv is counting on persuading more countries to back its peace formula, the head of Kyiv’s delegation said.
Ukraine and its allies hope the meeting in Jeddah of national security advisers and other senior officials from some 40 countries – but not Russia – will agree on key principles on how to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“I expect that the conversation will be difficult, but behind us is truth, behind us – goodness,” Andriy Yermak, head of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office and his key envoy for the talks, said in an interview.
The forum excludes Russia, but the Kremlin said it will “keep an eye” on the meeting. China, which has firm ties with Russia, said on Friday it will send Special Envoy for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui for the talks.
“We have many disagreements and we have heard different positions, but it is important that our principles are shared,” he said.
Ukrainian, Russian and international officials say there is no prospect of direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia at the moment, as the war continues to rage and Kyiv seeks to reclaim territory through a counter-offensive.
Ukraine aims first to build a bigger coalition of diplomatic support beyond its core Western backers by reaching out to Global South countries such as India, Brazil and South Africa, many of which have remained publicly neutral.
Zelenskiy said he hoped the initiative will lead to a “peace summit” of world leaders this autumn to endorse the principles, based on his own 10-point formula for a settlement. Moscow has rejected Zelenskiy’s peace formula.
