Saudi Arabia Hosts Ukraine ‘Peace’ Talks Without Inviting Russia

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (L), pictured June 2018, hosted US President Donald
AFP/File Yuri KADOBNOV
Frances Martel

Saudi Arabia hosted representatives of over 40 countries – including Argentina, Egypt, and South Korea – this weekend for talks meant to find an end to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Notably absent from the guest list was the invading country, Russia.

The summit, held in the city of Jeddah, counted on representatives from Ukraine, as well as major powers such as America and China and several relevant European states. Those in attendance did not agree on a joint statement or course of action, save for suggesting the potential for a third such meeting.

“Participants have agreed on continuing international consultations and exchanging views in a way that contributes to building common grounds that pave the way for peace,” the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. “[The participants] also [underscored] the importance of benefitting from the positive opinions and suggestions that were discussed during the meeting.”

The summit did allow Saudi Arabia, however, to take a leadership role in a conflict in which Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has exhibited a desire to become a more prominent actor – on both sides, increasing purchases of Russian oil while sending hundreds of millions of dollars to Ukraine.

Saudi Arabia’s Al Arabiya news network reported that a major objective of the summit was for Ukrainian officials to “build support beyond its core Western backers by reaching out to Global South countries that have been reluctant to take sides in a conflict that has hit the global economy.” Several of the countries in attendance have issued little to no public commentary on the invasion of Ukraine, such as Kuwait and the African island nation of Comoros. Others, such as India, South Africa, and Turkey, have insisted on neutrality. Indian officials, in particular, have gone as far as to express apathy towards the war, telling the world to simply “move on” from the situation to problems facing other parts of the world.

The summit also invited several governments openly allied with Russia, such as China and Brazil. Russia was the only member nation of the BRICS coalition (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) not in attendance.

The Russian government claimed that Saudi Arabia did not invite it to participate in the event and that, without bringing both of the actors engaged in the war to the table, the summit was useless. Ukrainian officials described the summit, which took place on Saturday and Sunday, as “productive” as it allowed Kyiv to engage with countries that it has previously failed to cement strong ties with, particularly in the “Global South.”

“We had very productive consultations on the key principles on which a just and lasting peace should be built,” the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office Andriy Yermak said following the meetings, according to the Ukrainian state outlet Ukrinform. Yermak led the delegation to Jeddah. “We had an extremely honest and open conversation, during which representatives of each country could express their position and vision.”

“There were different views, but all those present testified to the commitment of their countries to the principles of the UN Charter, international law, and respect for the sovereignty and inviolability of the territorial integrity of states,” Yermak said. “And it is on these principles that President Zelensky’s Peace Formula, which we talked about in detail, is built on.”

Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014, colonizing its Crimea region and supporting pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Donbass region. In February 2022, strongman Vladimir Putin announced a “special operation” to oust democratically elected President Volodymyr Zelensky and “demilitarize” Ukraine. Putin has since claimed to “annex” four more regions of Ukraine – Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk – and repeatedly accused Zelensky of being a “Nazi,” despite his Jewish heritage.

In September 2022, Zelensky debuted a “peace formula” at the United Nations General Assembly that he claimed was a roadmap to ending any conflict. The formula began with “punishment” for Russian leaders and continued with helping Ukraine reclaim the “annexed” territories and rebuild war-torn areas. Moscow has categorically rejected the peace “formula” and allies such as China has remained mum about supporting certain specifics in the plan, such as restoring Crimea to Ukrainian governance.

An unnamed American official described the Jeddah event similarly to Yermak, applauding it as “good and constructive.”

“It was a good and constructive set of conversations with a range of countries who came together to exchange views and build common ground in support of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, discuss how to end the war in Ukraine, and address the practical consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine and around the world,” the unnamed American official told Al Arabiya. “We were glad that more than 40 countries attended the talks and benefited from the chance to hear directly from Ukraine about the war and to exchange views.”

The administration of President Joe Biden has previously condemned Saudi Arabia for allegedly supporting Russia in the war, resulting in Zelensky personally expressing gratitude to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his support – embarrassing the White House.

“Look, it’s clear that OPEC+ is aligning with Russia with today’s announcement,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in October, responding to the Saudi-led oil cartel’s decision to reduce production. Top White House communications official John Kirby claimed Biden was working to “reevaluate” America’s ties to Saudi Arabia in response to Riyadh’s alleged proximity to Moscow.

“Spoke to Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman. Thanked for supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity, resolution at the UN General Assembly,” Zelensky said in a statement posted to Twitter shortly after the White House’s attacks. “We agreed to interact in the release of [Ukrainian] prisoners of war. We agreed on the provision of [Saudi] macro-financial aid to Ukraine.”

Mohammed bin Salman committed $400 million in aid, including $300 million in oil products, to Ukraine in February.

The Russian government made clear that it was displeased with the Jeddah meeting on Monday, even with the participation of allies such as China.

“By definition, it was far from real peace-oriented efforts since a major actor – Russia – wasn’t invited. It made no sense at all,” Russian Permanent Envoy to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov lamented in a post on Twitter, according to the Russian news agency Tass.

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Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the Jeddah talks for “promoting Zelensky’s formula”in Monday, but thanked “our friends in the Global South” for allegedly supporting true peace.

“Unlike the Kyiv regime, which broke off and banned talks with Russia, we have been and remain open to resolving the crisis diplomatically, and we are ready to respond to truly serious proposals,” Zakharova claimed.

Without Russia present, she emphasized, “no meeting on Ukraine will have any added value at all.”

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