Ukraine: Saudi Arabia joins Ukraine peace push with Jeddah talks

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia hosted talks on the Ukraine war Saturday in the latest flexing of its diplomatic muscle, a session that Kyiv acknowledged would “not be easy” given the wide range of countries represented. The meeting, which Ukrainian organisers said would include representatives from nearly 40 countries but not Russia, began on Saturday afternoon in the Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah.

“I predict that the conversation will not be easy, but the truth is on our side,” the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said in an interview on Friday. “Our task is to unite the whole world around Ukraine.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s office said this week that the meeting would focus on his 10-point peace formula, calling for the full withdrawal of Russian troops and restoration of Ukraine’s borders – including the territory of Crimea. Russia has in the past said negotiations would need to take into account “new territorial realities”.

The Jeddah meeting follows talks in Copenhagen in June that were designed to be informal and did not yield an official statement.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan headed Washington’s delegation at the talks.While Washington does not expect a major breakthrough, diplomats said the meetings were intended to engage a range of countries in debates about a path towards peace – notably members of the BRICS bloc with Russia that have adopted a more neutral stance on the war. afp