Saudi Arabia hosts Ukraine peace talks in bid to become global mediator

Organisers succeeded in bringing together representatives of the four members of the influential Brics bloc besides Russia: Brazil, India, China and South Africa

No final declaration was due to be released, though a European source said there had been agreement on key points at the meeting in Jeddah

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Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu inspects an infantry fighting vehicle abandoned by Ukrainian soldiers at an unknown location on August 4. Photo: Russian Defence Ministry / Reuters

Published: 1:08pm, 5 Aug 2023Updated: 6:01am, 6 Aug 2023

Saudi Arabia hosted talks on the Ukraine war on Saturday in the latest flexing of its diplomatic muscle, a session that Kyiv had predicted would “not be easy” given the wide range of countries represented.

The meeting, which Ukrainian organisers said would include representatives from nearly 40 countries but not Russia, concluded on Saturday evening after several hours of statements from the various delegations and a lengthy closed discussion, participants said.

As expected, no final declaration was due to be released, though a European source said there had been agreement on key points, including that respect for Ukraine’s “territorial integrity and sovereignty” should be “at the heart of any peace settlement”.

Organisers succeeded in bringing together representatives of the four members of the influential Brics bloc besides Russia: Brazil, India, China and South Africa.

“China participated actively and was positive” about meeting again, the European source said.

Yet the head of Brazil’s delegation, foreign policy adviser Celso Amorim, used his prepared remarks to stress that “any real negotiation must include all parties,” including Russia, according to a copy of his statement shared with Agence France-Presse.