Officials from over 40 countries concluded in Jeddah on Sunday meetings on the Ukrainian crisis after two days of very productive and open consultations.
National security and foreign ministry representatives from over 40 countries were present at the talks.
A Saudi source said the heads of delegations concluded their main meetings on Saturday evening, while technical meetings, aimed at future coordination and cooperation, continued on Sunday.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock praised the consultations. She told Germany’s Bild that “every millimeter of progress toward a fair and honest peace brings a glimmer of hope for the people of Ukraine.”
Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskiy's head of staff Andriy Yermak said in a statement: “We had very productive consultations on the key principles on which a just and lasting peace should be built.”
Yermak said different viewpoints emerged during the talks in Saudi Arabia, calling them “an extremely honest, open conversation.”
He said all the countries present had demonstrated a commitment to the principles of international law and respect for the sovereignty and inviolability of the territorial integrity of states.
Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the Jeddah consultations is an extension of the humanitarian initiatives and efforts carried out by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and the contacts he had held with the Russian and Ukrainian leaderships in the early days of the conflict.
He had expressed to them his country’s willingness to pursue efforts that would lead to lasting peace and to support all initiatives aimed at easing the humanitarian impact of the crisis.
In remarks to the Ukrainian presidency website, Yermak said: “Saudi Arabia, hosted the second meeting of diplomatic national security advisors and political directors of foreign policy departments of the world's leading countries on the key principles of restoring lasting and just peace for Ukraine, following the launch of the relevant format in Copenhagen in June.”
“In total, more than 40 states were represented in Jeddah, almost three times as many as at the Copenhagen consultations. This indicates the world's great interest in establishing a sustainable and lasting peace,” he added.
The format of the consultations included in-person and online participation of national security advisors and political directors from Saudi Arabia, Australia, Argentina, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Estonia, the European Union, Egypt, India, Spain, Italy, Jordan, Canada, Qatar, China, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of South Africa, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Slovakia, the Union of the Comoros, the United States of America, Türkiye, Finland, France, the Czech Republic, Chile, Sweden, Japan, and the United Nations.
The meeting in Jeddah was a step towards the practical implementation of peace initiatives proposed by Ukraine. Each state participating in the consultations has the opportunity to show leadership in global efforts for peace. And most of them have already defined their role in the implementation of certain points of the Formula, added Yermak.
The parties agreed to continue working at various representative levels to establish a just and comprehensive peace, he revealed.
As part of the consultations in Jeddah, the Ukrainian delegation headed by Yermak held a series of bilateral meetings on Sunday. The Ukrainian officials discussed with partners the details of implementing peace initiatives and cooperation in this area.
Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Jan Marian offered help with implementing the peace plan, especially in the area of nuclear security and prosecution of Russian war crimes.
“The Czech Republic’s representation at the high-level consultations is based on our strong and long-standing support for Ukraine,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by state media on Sunday as saying the Jeddah meeting was “a reflection of the West's attempt to continue futile, doomed efforts” to mobilize the Global South behind Zelenskiy's position.
