Saudi Arabia leads the second round of peace talks for Ukraine

Senior leaders from more than 40 countries attended the second round of talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 5-6 August in search of a framework for peace in Ukraine.  

During this two-day summit, similar to the previous one in Copenhagen, the Ukrainian representative has again proposed the ten-point Ukrainian peace formula. This proposal was initially put forward by Volodymyr Zelenski during the last G20 conference in autumn last year. The formula presented by Kiev consists of ten key points in which it mentions issues such as nuclear, food and energy security, the release of prisoners, the restoration of Ukrainian territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, and the prevention of escalation of the conflict.  

Although this summit has excluded Russian representation, the Kremlin has closely observed the event that has taken place in the Saudi kingdom. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has not hesitated to comment on the talks, describing them as "futile and doomed to failure", stating that he sees the summit as an attempt by the West to tilt the Global South in support of Ukraine, and that he will talk to Russia's economic partners after the meeting to discuss the results. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented earlier this week on the need to understand the goals that have been set and that "any attempt to promote a peaceful settlement deserves a positive assessment".  

The Ukrainian ambassador thanked the Saudi kingdom for organising these talks in order to facilitate the search for a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine. Speaking to Arab News, Petrenko Anatolii said: "I would like to thank Saudi Arabia for its commitment and hospitality to Ukraine in advancing our peace formula plan (...) with the support of Saudi Arabia, we managed to bring together national security advisors from 42 countries". He also stated in a communiqué his appreciation for the productivity on key peacebuilding principles that took place during these talks.

Saudi Arabia has been a key ally of Ukraine, and after this meeting declares itself a key candidate for mediating the war. Thanks to the Saudi kingdom's diplomatic work, this summit was attended by countries that had previously positioned themselves as neutral, such as the members of the BRICS bloc. 

China's presence at the summit was also notable. As a result of the advancement of the relationship between China and Saudi Arabia over the past year, the Asian giant has been present during these talks, unlike the previous talks in Copenhagen earlier this summer, which it did not attend. According to The Guardian, an EU source has stated that, "China actively participated and was positive about the idea of a third meeting at this level". While it is true that this participation of Chinese representation corresponds with a positive development in the war negotiations, the Asian giant remains neutral, and its participation in these talks only suggests Beijing's willingness to listen and discuss the key points for an end to the war, and not necessarily a definitive endorsement of the Ukrainian peace formula.