Representatives from around 40 countries met in Saudi Arabia to discuss the prospects for peace in Ukraine. Foreign Minister Baerbock praised the efforts: Every “millimeter of progress” brings a bit of hope for the people of Ukraine.
After deliberations on ways to end the Ukraine war in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock expressed cautious optimism. “Every millimeter of progress towards a just and fair peace brings a piece of hope for the people of Ukraine,” said Baerbock of the “Bild am Sonntag”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “showed a very decisive path for this with his peace formula”. He called for a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
No closing statement
In Jeddah on Saturday, representatives from more than 40 countries discussed ways to end the Ukraine war. According to a report by the AFP news agency, the meeting ended without Russia taking part in the evening after several hours of deliberations and talks behind closed doors. As expected, there was no final declaration, it said. According to European diplomatic circles, there is agreement on central points of a peace solution, such as the “territorial integrity and sovereignty” of Ukraine.
Baerbock further told the newspaper: “The signal from Jeddah is: This brutal Russian war of aggression also affects the people of Africa, Asia and South America.” The war has repercussions well beyond Europe – “from the future of the international order to questions of energy security to rising grain prices and the global food supply that Russia has so ruthlessly deteriorated”. The view of the war is “different from Pretoria, Brasilia or Beijing than from Europe”. But everywhere “our common understanding must be the charter of the United Nations,” stressed the Foreign Minister.
More than 40 states in Jeddah
The participating countries in Jeddah included Western countries such as the USA and Germany, but also emerging countries such as China, India and South Africa as well as developing countries. The meeting took place at the level of national security advisers. Jens Plötner, Foreign Policy Advisor to Chancellor Olaf Scholz, represented the Federal Government. The US delegation was led by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Zelenskyy explained in his evening video message that 42 countries were represented in Jeddah and that the Ukrainian delegation is pushing ahead with its “ten-point peace formula”, which calls for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.
Saudi Arabia maintains good contacts with both Russia and Ukraine and has offered to act as a mediator. Last year, Riyadh mediated in an exchange of prisoners. Zelenskyy traveled to Saudi Arabia in May and spoke at an Arab League summit. The Kremlin said in advance that they would “follow” the meeting in Jeddah.
The Jeddah meeting followed talks in Copenhagen in June, which were informal and had resulted in no official statement.