Ukraine will not take part in the talks between Russia and the United States in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday, speaking by video link from the United Arab Emirates. Zelensky’s arrival in the region at the same time as the United States and Russia are set to meet for peace talks in Saudi Arabia has sparked widespread speculation about whether Ukraine will take part, reported by Politico.
U.S. officials told the Munich Security Conference this weekend that Washington had invited Ukraine to take part, a statement that came as news to Kyiv. “Ukraine will not take part in the talks. Ukraine did not know they were planned. And the visit to the region was planned long before the US decided to go there to meet Russia,” Zelensky said, adding that any peace talks without Kyiv at the negotiating table would not yield results.
Zelensky to travel to Saudi Arabia
However, President Volodymyr Zelensky, in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, said that he would travel to Saudi Arabia later this week for separate talks with Saudi officials. On Monday, Ukraine and the UAE signed an economic cooperation agreement, opening up free trade, Zelensky said. He added that he would travel to Turkey on Tuesday, when Russia and the US are expected to meet in Riyadh, and would arrive in Saudi Arabia only the next day.
“So, again, my visits have nothing to do with those talks. Although when I arrive in Saudi Arabia, I will ask His Majesty what he knows about the topics of the negotiations,” Zelensky added. “You know, once upon a time, it was somehow not good to talk with the aggressor during a war, but talk about the need to resume negotiations has been going on for quite some time,” Zelensky said. He welcomed the prospect of participation in the negotiations by European leaders, as well as all those who want and who would give Ukraine real security guarantees and put pressure on Putin for peace.
Saudi Arabia to host senior American and Russian officials
Moscow and Washington have rejected the idea of European participation. Saudi Arabia’s hosting of senior American and Russian officials for a high-stakes meeting underscores the kingdom’s desire to become a global actor capable of successfully mediating in international conflicts. Another likely goal: to give Riyadh leverage in future negotiations on the fate of post-war Gaza.
The kingdom is expected to play a mediating role at Tuesday’s meeting between the United States and Russia, a Saudi official said. The Saudi team will be led by the country’s national security adviser. The venue for the talks is widely seen as a win-win for the kingdom’s 39-year-old de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who aims to transform his oil-rich country into a nation that can cultivate soft power from its vast wealth.