Representatives from around 40 nations, including the United States, China, and India, convened in Saudi Arabia for discussions aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to Russia’s conflict in Ukraine.
Kyiv and its allies are optimistic that these talks will establish essential principles for bringing an end to the war. Ukraine’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Petrenko Anatolii thanked Kingdom for hosting the talks aimed at resolving Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“First of all, I’d like to thank Saudi Arabia for being so committed and hospitable to Ukraine in moving forward our peace formula plan,” said the ambassador. President Zelenskyy aims for a global summit based on these principles later this year.
Ukraine calls Jeddah talks productive
Ukrainian officials praised productive Jeddah talks for a peaceful settlement with Russia, seeking international support for principles like troop withdrawal and territorial control.
“We had very productive consultations on the key principles on which a just and lasting peace should be built,” Zelenskyy’s head of staff Andriy Yermak said in a statement.
Moscow, on the other hand, dismissed the meeting as a failed attempt to gain Global South backing for Kyiv’s stance.
China backs further Ukraine peace talks
China supported further peace talks for Ukraine after the Saudi Arabia summit. The talks, excluding Russia, involved the US, India, the EU, and China’s special envoy for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, who emphasized the importance of shared principles.
“We have many disagreements and we have heard different positions, but it is important that our principles are shared,” Li was reported by Reuters as saying before the meeting.
An EU source reported China’s active participation and positive outlook on a third meeting at this level.
Who attended the Jeddah peace talks?
The meeting included representatives from nearly 40 countries excluding Russia. The meeting brought together representatives of the four members of the influential BRICS bloc besides Russia: Brazil, India, China, and South Africa. The talks also included other countries from the Global South.
Russia’s Reaction
Russia described the Jeddah peace summit as “Western efforts to mobilize the global south to support Zelensky’s formula” and said that such efforts were “doomed to fail.”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, however, said that the participation of BRICS countries such as China and India was potentially valuable, as they may “convey common sense to the Western patrons of Kyiv.”