According to a statement released by the official Saudi news agency, SPA, the two-day meeting in the city of Jeddah is part of “the initiatives and humanitarian efforts of the Crown Prince, Mohamed Bin Salman”, and the contacts he established “with the Russian authorities and from the early days of the crisis” triggered by the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces in February 2022.
In addition, said the same source, Bin Salman expressed his willingness to “contribute to achieving a solution that leads to lasting peace” and to “mitigate the effects of the crisis and its humanitarian repercussions” through “the exchange of views , coordination and debate at the international level” on ways to resolve the Ukrainian crisis through diplomatic and political channels.
The meeting will be attended by advisers to heads of government and diplomatic representatives to pave the way for a summit Kiev hopes to organize this fall around Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky’s ‘Formula for Peace’.
The Jeddah meeting comes after another held in June, in Copenhagen, between representatives of Ukraine, the United States, European countries, Brazil, India, Turkey and South Africa, about which little information was released.
Russia has already expressed its vehement opposition to the two-day meeting, which it even classified as a Western attempt to create an anti-Moscow bloc.
The event will bring together senior officials from up to 30 countries, many of them western countries, and Brazil and India will also participate, among other powers.
After some hesitation, China confirmed its presence on Friday, significantly raising the profile of the meeting.
On Friday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba called China’s participation a “great step forward”.
“We want China to participate in the ‘Formula for Peace’ summit. The news that China is going to send Li Hui to Jeddah is a big step forward,” said Kuleba, quoted by the Interfax news agency, who highlighted the “important role” played by the Saudi crown prince.
“Saudi Arabia attracted China, and this is a historic victory,” said Kuleba.
Li Hui, as Beijing’s special envoy, has toured several capitals seeking support for China’s peace plan for Ukraine.
However, a White House spokesman reiterated that the Jeddah meeting will not be a “peace negotiation” and that Washington, who will be represented by national security adviser Jake Sullivan, does not expect “tangible results”.
The Ukrainian President presented, in 2022, a peace plan with 10 points that Kiev considers to be indispensable to accept an understanding with Moscow.
The plan demands the withdrawal of Russian troops and the cessation of hostilities (the point that has met with the most resistance on the part of Moscow, which does not admit concessions to the already annexed territory), the guarantee of nuclear security and energy security, the implementation of the Charter of United Nations, justice, the prevention of escalation, the protection of the environment, the release of prisoners and deportees, safe food and the confirmation of the end of the war.
The military offensive launched on February 24, 2022 by Russia in Ukraine caused, according to the latest UN data, the worst refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War (1939-1945).
The Russian invasion – justified by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, according to his arguments, with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security – was condemned by the international community in general, which has responded by sending arms to Russia. Ukraine and the imposition of political and economic sanctions on Russia.
*With Lusa
