SAUDI ARABIA: The peace talks over wartorn Ukraine have taken an unexpected turn as the country’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy turned to the global South for support.
In response, Saudi Arabia extended invitations to the peace summit in Jeddah to more than 40 countries, including four BRICS nations, Brazil, India, South Africa, and China taking part in the talks for the first time.
Ukraine’s latest diplomatic strategy to further alienate Moscow is unlikely to succeed, given that most of the countries at the Jeddah talks remain committed to choosing neither side.
Perhaps Zelensky should alter his 10-point peace plan.
The 10-point peace parameters proposed by Zelensky were first presented at the G20 meeting in Bali late last year, then at the Copenhagen negotiations in January, and finally at the Saudi-led peace talks in Jeddah.
Zelensky appears to be exacerbating Russia’s persecution rather than restoring peace for his people and resuming trade. His attitude is further shown in his undermining and disdain of Africa’s peace talks organised by South Africa in June this year.
BGTN spoke to political analyst Naeem Jeenah who notes that Saudi Arabia’s strategic approach allows Russia to participate in future meetings
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been asserting itself as arbitrator and conciliator as the nation did so with Lebanon, brokered peace between Eritrea and Ethiopia, and was involved in peace talks between the conflicting parties in Yemen and Sudan.
An immediate breakthrough in the Russia-Ukraine war is further on the horizon. Still, experts believe that if Saudi succeeds in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, the kingdom may well be upheld for its role in preventing a third world war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly shrugged off the peace negotiations in Saudi Arabia, stating that ” the talks are doomed to fail.”
READ MORE: Zelenskyy pushes 10-point peace plan at Saudi Arabia summit
