The gathering was the second such summit to discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “peace formula,” which lays out 10 principles such as Russia’s withdrawal from all of Ukraine’s territory, delivering justice for war crimes and guaranteeing the country’s security.
But little has been said about what exactly went down at the meeting.
“We had very productive consultations on the key principles on which a just and durable peace should be built,” Andriy Yermak, who serves as Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine and who led his country’s delegation to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, wrote in a post on Telegram on Monday.
Russia was not invited to participate in the summit and lashed out at the gathering over the weekend.
Russian state media on Sunday posted a response from Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who called the meeting “a reflection of the West’s attempt to continue futile, doomed efforts” to mobilize the world behind Zelensky.
Yermak said the number of countries participating was three times more than participated in an earlier summit in June in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Saudi summit included representatives from some of Ukraine’s most staunch supporters, including the U.S., but also included countries that have sought to preserve relations with Moscow despite its nearly 18-month war — including China, India, South Africa and Brazil.
“We had an extremely honest, open conversation, during which representatives of each country could express their position and vision,” Yermak wrote.
“There were different views, but all those present testified to the commitment of their countries to the principles of the U.N. Charter, international law and respect for the sovereignty and inviolability of the territorial integrity of states. And it is on these principles that President Zelenskyi’s Peace Formula, which we talked about in detail, is built on.”
Ukrainian officials have said they would not accept an end to the war that resulted in Ukraine losing territory or putting the conflict on hold. China’s proposals have been criticized as putting forward aspirational position statements instead of concrete solutions.
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
