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- Apr 29, 2010
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Saudi Arabia kicks off Ukraine talks that exclude Russia
Saudi Arabia has kicked off a weekend summit in Jeddah, in which senior officials from some 40 countries – but not Russia – will aim to draft key principles on how to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday welcomed the wide range of countries represented in the talks that began on Saturday, including developing countries hit hard by the surge in food prices triggered by the war.
“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 said.
Russia last month halted its participation in a United Nations-brokered grain deal that enabled the shipment of Ukrainian produce through the Black Sea to parts of the world struggling with hunger.
Zelenskyy said he hoped the initiative will lead to a “peace summit” of world leaders this autumn to endorse the principles, which he believed should be based on Kyiv’s 10-point formula for a settlement.
Ukraine’s formula includes respect for its territorial integrity and the withdrawal of Russian troops from territories that Moscow claims to have annexed.
The forum excludes Russia, which has rejected Ukraine’s peace formula. The Kremlin said it will “keep an eye” on the meeting.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this week that Russia would “need to understand what goals are set and what will be discussed”.
“Any attempt to promote a peaceful settlement deserves a positive evaluation,” he said.
Source: Al Jazeera