Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, one day after a meeting there between top Russian and US officials, the Ukrainian leader’s spokesman told AFP.
Zelenskyy had announced the trip along with stops the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Türkiye last week without giving dates, adding he had no plans to meet Russian or US officials.
Sergiy Nykyforov said Zelenskyy would visit Saudi Arabia with his wife as part of a “long-planned” official visit.
His trip will come one day after Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meets US officials as part of what the Kremlin says are efforts to repair Moscow’s ties with Washington.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed on Monday in Saudi Arabia where he met with Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
Earlier on Monday, Zelenskyy was received by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi for talks on bilateral relations.
Sheikh Mohamed hoped Zelenskyy’s visit would further boost bilateral relations across various sectors, reported the UAE’s state news agency (WAM).
The leaders discussed various aspects of cooperation, particularly in the fields of the economy, investment, development, renewable energy, and food security, as well as other areas aligned with both countries’ developmental priorities.
Sheikh Mohamed reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to fostering effective international partnerships across different sectors to achieve shared progress and prosperity.
He underlined the UAE’s consistent approach of supporting peaceful solutions to crises, underscoring that development can only be achieved in a stable environment. He reiterated the UAE’s commitment to backing all efforts aimed at reaching a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict and continuing initiatives to mitigate its humanitarian impact.
He thanked Zelenskyy for the Ukrainian government’s cooperation in supporting the UAE’s mediation efforts in the exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia. He noted that this collaboration reflects confidence in the UAE’s role in alleviating the humanitarian consequences of the conflict.
For his part, Zelenskyy reaffirmed his commitment to bolstering cooperation between Ukraine and the UAE, highlighting the numerous opportunities available across various sectors. He expressed his appreciation to Sheikh Mohamed for the UAE’s sustained diplomatic efforts in facilitating prisoner exchanges and its humanitarian focus on the crisis.
Zelenskyy traveled to the UAE late Sunday as momentum grows for potential peace talks ending Moscow's war on the country.
