Saudi Arabia Welcomes UN General Assembly's Vote in Favor of Palestinian Membership

File photo of Saudi Arabia's flag.
File photo of Saudi Arabia's flag.
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Saudi Arabia Welcomes UN General Assembly's Vote in Favor of Palestinian Membership

File photo of Saudi Arabia's flag.
File photo of Saudi Arabia's flag.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed the Kingdom's welcoming of the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of a resolution, in an overwhelming majority, which endorses that the State of Palestine is qualified for full membership in the United Nations and additional rights and privileges in accordance with Article 4 of the Charter of the United Nations and recommended that the Security Council positively reconsider this issue.

The Ministry said that this decision clearly expresses the international consensus in favor of the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to establish their independent state on the basis of the two-state solution.

It also said that while the Kingdom appreciates the positive position of the countries that voted in favor of the resolution, it calls on the member states of the Security Council to assume their historical responsibility and refrain from obstructing the international consensus and stand up to the moral and legal right of the Palestinian people.



Trump Says he Would Probably Meet with Putin in Saudi Arabia

President Donald Trump speaks as Tulsi Gabbard is sworn in as the Director of National Intelligence in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Washington. (Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump speaks as Tulsi Gabbard is sworn in as the Director of National Intelligence in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Washington. (Photo/Alex Brandon)
TT

Trump Says he Would Probably Meet with Putin in Saudi Arabia

President Donald Trump speaks as Tulsi Gabbard is sworn in as the Director of National Intelligence in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Washington. (Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump speaks as Tulsi Gabbard is sworn in as the Director of National Intelligence in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Washington. (Photo/Alex Brandon)

US President Donald has said that he would “probably” meet in person with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in the near term, suggesting that could happen in Saudi Arabia.

Trump said on Wednesday that he and Putin had agreed to begin negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine.

Trump said he spent more than an hour on the phone with Putin and “I think we’re on the way to getting peace." He noted that he later spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, but he was noncommittal about whether Ukraine would be an equal participant in US negotiations with Russia.
“I think President Putin wants peace and President Zelenskiy wants peace and I want peace," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I just want to see people stop being killed.”

Of his conversation with Putin, Trump said, “People didn’t really know what President Putin’s thoughts were. But I think I can say with great confidence, he wants to see it ended also, so that’s good — and we’re going to work toward getting it ended and as fast as possible.”

In a post on his social media platform, he said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, national security adviser Michael Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff would lead negotiations on ending the war.

Zelenskiy's office said the conversation with Trump lasted for about an hour.
"I had a meaningful conversation with @POTUS. We... talked about opportunities to achieve peace, discussed our readiness to work together ...and Ukraine's technological capabilities... including drones and other advanced industries," Zelenskiy wrote on X.
No Ukraine peace talks have been held since the early months of the conflict, now approaching its third anniversary.