The head of the Ukrainian delegation to Jeddah revealed on Friday that the talks set to begin in Saudi Arabia aimed at finding a peaceful settlement to end the Russian war in Ukraine "will be difficult." However, Kyiv hopes to persuade more countries to support its peace proposal.
Andriy Yermak, the head of President Volodymyr Zelensky's office and his main envoy for the talks, stated in a televised interview late on Friday: "I expect the talks to be difficult."
Ukraine and its allies hope that the meeting taking place in Jeddah, involving national security advisers and other senior officials from around 40 countries—excluding Russia—will agree on fundamental principles regarding how to end the Russian war in Ukraine.
While Russia is excluded from the meeting, the Kremlin has stated it will "monitor" the discussions. China, which has close ties with Russia, announced on Friday that it would send its special envoy for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, to participate in the talks.
Ukrainian, Russian, and international officials indicate that there is currently no possibility for direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia as the war continues to rage, with Kyiv seeking to reclaim its territory through a counteroffensive.
However, Ukraine's primary goal is to build a larger alliance for diplomatic support that extends beyond its main Western allies by engaging with countries from the Global South, such as India, Brazil, and South Africa, many of which have publicly maintained a neutral stance.
