Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hoped that it was possible to hold peace discussions with Russia in the fall, as he said upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia were a stepping stone toward such talks.
“We are working on making it (the summit) happen this fall,” he said.
The upcoming meeting in Saudi Arabia would bring senior officials for talks in Jeddah on Aug 5 and 6.
It said that Ukraine and Western officials hope that the talks, excluding Russia, can lead to international backing for peace terms favoring Ukraine.
The Kremlin claims to have annexed around a sixth of Ukraine. It has said it views peace talks with Ukraine as possible only if Kyiv accepts “new realities,” referencing its territorial claims. Kyiv says negotiations with Russia would be possible only after Moscow withdraws its troops.
Among the invited countries, it is not yet clear how many will attend, although countries that took part in a similar round of talks in Copenhagen in June are expected to do so again, the report said.
Britain, South Africa, Poland and the EU are among those who have confirmed attendance and the U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to attend, it added.
But Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva claimed neither Ukraine nor Russia is ready to talk about peace.
“Neither Putin nor Zelenskyy is ready for peace,” Lula told foreign correspondents in a news conference, adding that peace proposals he seeks with other neutral countries will be ready for when Russia and Ukraine are ready to negotiate.
Lula said the BRICS group of emerging economies should allow new members “as long as they meet the requirements.” His country has been the main opponent of expanding BRICS.
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