Saudi Arabia has kicked off a weekend summit in Jeddah, in which senior officials from some 40 countries – but not Russia – will aim to draft key principles on how to end war in Ukraine, Al Jazeera reports.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday welcomed the wide range of countries represented in the talks that began on Saturday, including developing countries hit hard by the surge in food prices triggered by the war.
“This is very important because, on issues such as food security, the fate of millions of people in Africa, Asia and other parts of the world directly depends on how fast the world moves to implement the peace formula,” he said.
Russia last month halted its participation in a United Nations-brokered grain deal that enabled the shipment of Ukrainian produce through the Black Sea to parts of the world struggling with hunger.
Ukraine’s formula includes respect for its territorial integrity and the withdrawal of Russian troops from its territories.
The forum excludes Russia, which has rejected Ukraine’s peace formula. The Kremlin said it will “keep an eye” on the meeting.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this week that Russia would “need to understand what goals are set and what will be discussed”.
China, which says it is a neutral party in the conflict but has been criticised by Western capitals for refusing to condemn the invasion of Ukraine, announced on Friday it would participate in the Jeddah talks by sending Special Envoy for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest crude exporter which works closely with Russia on oil policy, has touted its ties to both Moscow and Kyiv and positioned itself as a possible mediator in the war.
The SPA report said the kingdom anticipated the meeting would reinforce “dialogue and cooperation … to ensure a solution for the crisis through political and diplomatic means”.
