The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that Saudi Arabia will host talks concerning Ukraine involving Kyiv, Western countries, and key developing nations including India and Brazil in early August. According to the newspaper, citing diplomats involved in the discussions, the scheduled meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on August 5 and 6 will include senior officials from up to 30 countries. Among the countries invited to participate are Indonesia, Egypt, Mexico, Chile, and Zambia.
The report noted that it is not yet clear how many countries will accept the invitation, but it is expected that those that previously attended a similar round of talks in Copenhagen in June will participate. The newspaper mentioned that the United Kingdom, South Africa, Poland, and the European Union are among those who have confirmed attendance at the talks, and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is also expected to be present.
Ukrainian and Western officials hope that the talks, which will not include Russia, will help garner international support for peace terms favorable to Ukraine. For its part, Russia indicated that it would not accept a peace negotiation with Ukraine unless Kyiv acknowledges "the new realities," referring to the Ukrainian territories it has occupied, while Kyiv insists that the withdrawal of Russian troops is a prerequisite for negotiations with Russia.
