Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has affirmed Saudi Arabia's commitment to continue its efforts to resolve the Ukrainian crisis during an interview with the TV channel Fox News.
"Saudi Arabia maintains positive relations with both Russia and Ukraine," the crown prince stated, underlining the significance of trade connections with these nations. "We are diligently working to facilitate measures aimed at resolving this issue," he added.
Consultations on the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine took place in Jeddah on August 5-6, gathering representatives from over 40 countries and international organizations, including Argentina, Brazil, the UK, Germany, Egypt, India, Qatar, China, the UAE, the USA, Turkey, Qatar, and Ukraine itself. Notably, Russia was not extended an invitation to attend.
Initially, the meeting was intended to discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's proposed "peace formula." However, sources suggest that Saudi Arabia and several other nations introduced an alternative peace initiative during the Jeddah gathering. This plan reportedly entails safeguarding Ukraine's territorial integrity, implementing a ceasefire, initiating peace negotiations under UN auspices, and facilitating a prisoner exchange.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova commented on the Jeddah meeting, expressing concerns that Kiev and Western nations, by advocating for Zelensky's "formula," sought to downplay the efforts of other countries and monopolize their right to propose peace initiatives.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS