Russian-Ukrainian Disagreement on the Utility of Jeddah Talks

A senior Ukrainian official indicated today, Sunday, that the ongoing talks in Saudi Arabia aimed at making progress towards a peaceful resolution to the war with Russia are fruitful. In contrast, Moscow described the meeting as a failed attempt to rally the global south behind Kyiv. Ukraine and its allies view the talks as an effort to gain broad international support for the principles that Kyiv wants to be the basis for peace, including the withdrawal of all Russian troops and the return of all Ukrainian territories to its control. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned that he wants to hold a global summit based on those principles later this year. Andrei Yermak, head of Zelensky's office, stated in a statement about the Jeddah talks, "We had very fruitful consultations about the fundamental principles that should be the basis for a just and lasting peace." Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov was quoted by state media as saying that the meeting is "a reflection of the West's attempt to continue its failed and pointless efforts" to gather support from the global south for Zelensky's position. Yermak added that differing views emerged during the talks in Saudi Arabia, describing them as "very open and candid dialogue." He stated that all participating countries showed their commitment to the principles of international law and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.