Platoon commanders of Ukraine’s National Guard take part in military training in Kharkiv region [File: Sergey Bobok/AFP]
Metropolis Desk-
A senior source in Kyiv claims that Saudi Arabia is prepared to hold a summit to talk about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s peace plan for his nation amid the ongoing Russian assault.
The chief of staff for Zelenskyy, Andriy Yermak, announced on Sunday that representatives from several nations would attend the Saudi Arabian summit, but he did not specify when or where the gathering will take place.
The meeting will take place on August 5 and 6, in the city of Jeddah, according to The Wall Street Journal, which broke the news of it in the first place citing “diplomats involved in the discussion”.
According to the Journal, Ukrainian and Western officials are hoping that their efforts will lead to a peace summit later this year when world leaders will commit to a set of common principles for ending the war.
The Ukrainian Peace Formula, which “contains 10 fundamental points, the implementation of which will not only ensure peace for Ukraine but also create mechanisms to counter future conflicts in the world,” will be the subject of debates, according to Yermak’s Telegram post.
The restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian forces, the release of all prisoners, the establishment of a court to try those responsible for the aggression, and security assurances for Ukraine are all part of the 10-point peace formula, according to previous statements made by Ukraine.
Because the conflict is occurring on our territory, “we are firmly convinced that the Ukrainian peace plan should be used as a starting point,” Yermak added.
The 10 issues were “discussed individually and in groups with representatives of more than 50 countries on an almost weekly basis,” according to his statement.
He added that the meeting in Saudi Arabia follows on from a gathering of senior officials in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, in late June. Countries that attended the initial meeting included Brazil, India, Turkey, and South Africa.
Chile, Egypt, the European Union, Indonesia, Mexico, Poland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Zambia are among the 30 invited countries for the Jeddah summit, according to the Journal.
The Associated Press news agency reports that Russia was not invited. According to the AP, which cited an unnamed official, a senior representative of US President Joe Biden’s office is also anticipated to attend the event.
Saudi Arabia did not respond right away.
Following Zelenskyy’s trip to the Arab League conference in Jeddah in May to compel those countries to support Kyiv, a summit there is scheduled.
Due in great part to their close military and economic links to Moscow, Arab countries have mostly maintained their neutrality ever since Russia declared a full-scale war on Ukraine in February 2022.
As a member of OPEC+, Saudi Arabia has also preserved a tight connection with Russia. Hosting such discussions, however, enhances the reputation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has worked to improve relations with Iran and advance efforts to end the country’s protracted conflict in Yemen.
The discussions take place as Ukraine works to strengthen its security position.
On Sunday, Yermak added that Ukraine and the US would start talking about a bilateral security guarantee arrangement the following week. He explained that the discussions are a result of a statement made by the leaders of the Group of 7 nations earlier this month, which laid the framework for each country to negotiate agreements to support Ukraine’s military development.
“Specific and long-term commitments that will ensure Ukraine’s ability to win now and deter Russian aggression in the future,” according to Yermak, are what Ukraine is seeking.
There was no confirmation of the negotiations from US officials. While the battle is ongoing, other peace initiatives have been proposed.
African leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin recently met in Saint Petersburg to discuss their own proposed scheme. Pope Francis and China have both been operating independently. These plans don’t have any specifics available.
Source- AL Jazeera
