State Heads from 40 nations have gathered in Jeddah for a weekend summit to discuss ways to put a stop to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia has started a weekend Summit in Jeddah, which is attended by State Heads of 40 countries, excluding Russia, to decide how to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s exporter of crude oil, works closely with Russia on oil policy and has touted its ties to both Moscow and Kyiv and positioned itself as a possible mediator in the war.
The President of Ukraine – Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the countries gathered for the Summit. The Summit is also attended by developing countries that have been hit hard by the surge in food prices triggered by the war.
Speaking on the occasion, Zelenskyy said, “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.”
Prior to leaving for Jeddha, Zelenskyy tweeted,
Tomorrow in Jeddah – in Saudi Arabia – a meeting of advisors to heads of state and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the Peace Formula will begin. Many countries will be represented, different continents, including the countries of the Global South. It… pic.twitter.com/FJrXwd6Ed0
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 4, 2023
Zelenskyy said he is hopeful that the Summit will lead to a “Peace Summit” of world leaders this autumn to endorse the principles, which he believed should be based on Kyiv’s 10-point formula for a settlement. Ukraine’s 10-point formula includes respect for its territorial integrity and the withdrawal of Russian troops from 4 territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia that Russia claims it annexed.
The Summit was also attended by China, which is a close ally of Russia. China has so far remained neutral in the conflict but has been criticised by the West for not condemning the invasion of Ukraine.
The Spokesperson for Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China – Wang Wenbin said, “China is willing to work with the international community to continue to play a constructive role in promoting a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine.”
Saudi Arabia hopes that the Summit would reinforce dialogue and cooperation to ensure a solution for the crisis through political and diplomatic means. Saudi Arabia has also backed the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC’s) resolutions denouncing Russia’s invasion as well as its unilateral annexation of territory in Eastern Ukraine.
The Summit follows Ukraine-organised talks in Copenhagen in June that were designed to be informal and did not yield an Official Statement. Earlier in May 2023, Saudi Arabia hosted Zelenskyy at an Arab League Summit in Jeddah, where Zelenskyy accused some Arab leaders of turning “a blind eye” to the horrors of Russia’s invasion.
