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Rabat – Saudi Arabia has kicked off a weekend summit in Jeddah, intended to draft a set of key articles to bring the war in Ukraine to an end, with the participation of 40 countries – although Russia is not one of them.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he hopes the meeting will lead to a “peace summit” this fall with the participation of other world leaders, and said he hopes the summit would be based on Kiev’s own peace formula.
Russia rejected said formula, but has said that it would “keep an eye” on the meeting to better “understand what goals are set and what will be discussed.”
“Any attempt to promote a peaceful settlement deserves a positive evaluation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Ukraine’s formula includes a withdrawal of Russian troops and guarantees for the respect of its territorial integrity.
Notably, China – a staunch Russia ally – is also in attendance at the Jeddah summit, signifying that Zelenskyy will aim to convince the Chinese delegation of his peace plan.
The Ukrainian President also welcomed the number of participants, stressing that the war and any potential peace plans have global consequences.
“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,” he explained.
Since the war between Russia and Ukraine began in early 2022, several regions and countries around the world have witnessed a domino effect, with food and fuel prices rising as both countries are significant exporters.
Most reports agree that the range of deaths from the conflicts is in the tens of thousands, with millions more injured and displaced as a result.
