Peace in Ukraine: 30 countries to gather in Saudi Arabia

Representatives of 30 countries will gather in Saudi Arabia to discuss ways to achieve peace in Ukraine. The meeting will occur in Jeddah on August 5-6, The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reports.

“Saudi Arabia is set to host peace talks among Western countries, Ukraine, and key developing countries, including India and Brazil, early next month, as Europe and Washington intensify efforts to consolidate international support for Ukraine’s peace demands,” the media writes. 

Russia was not invited to the meeting. This is the second event in a similar format; the first was held in Copenhagen. Ukrainian and Western officials aim to conclude the effort with a peace summit at the end of the year, where world leaders will sign joint principles to end the war. The future document will be able to start peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in favor of Kyiv, WSJ writes.

Among others, representatives of Indonesia, Egypt, Mexico, Chile, Zambia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Poland, and the European Union will come to Jeddah. The US president’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, is also expected to attend.

“At the Copenhagen meeting, there was a large gap in views between Ukraine and most of the attending developing countries, according to meeting’s participants,” the WSJ states

The Ukrainian side called to join the peace plan of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, a group of developing countries clarified that they are open to discussing common principles but will not sign up for the Kyiv plan.

In May, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed the idea of holding a global peace summit with the participation of as many states as possible to gain support for the Ukrainian “peace formula.”