Shortly after the Russia-Africa summit, which resulted in calls for peaceful coexistence between Russia and Ukraine but did not contribute to the solution of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, another forum is planned to be held to seek a peaceful resolution to the war. Specifically, on August 5 and 6, Saudi Arabia will host peace talks on the Ukrainian crisis, in which high-ranking officials from up to 30 countries are expected to participate in the city of Jeddah. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal on Saturday.
The goal of the meeting is to consolidate international support for Ukraine’s peace demands and create a framework for future peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. This effort could lead to a peace summit later this year where world leaders would agree on common principles for resolving the war in Ukraine.
However, Russia, which has rejected serious peace negotiations and continues to insist on its maximalist territorial demands, will not participate in the given summit. The war in Ukraine appears to have reached a stalemate, with neither side gaining significant territory in the past months.
The meeting in Jeddah follows a previous gathering in Copenhagen, attended by senior officials from Brazil, India, South Africa, and Turkey. For the upcoming meeting, Riyadh and Kyiv have invited 30 countries, including Chile, Egypt, Indonesia, Mexico, and Zambia. The EU, the Republic of South Africa, Poland, and the United Kingdom have already confirmed their participation. The attendance of US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is also expected. The Saudi government wants to play a bigger role in diplomacy regarding Ukraine and persuade China to participate in the talks. Saudi Arabia and China maintain close ties, with Beijing helping to negotiate a recent thaw in relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The meeting will take place at a time when the rivalry between the West and Russia for support from third countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America is growing on the international stage. Many of them have taken a neutral position in the war so far. It is important to remember that at the recent Russian-African summit in St. Petersburg, African Union President Azali Assoumani said that Russian President Putin’s proposals for grain supplies to Africa were not adequate and that a ceasefire in Ukraine was needed. How will the conference in Jeddah turn out? Let’s believe that in the end, Saudi Arabia will contribute to a greater extent to finding a way out.
