Monday, July 31, 2023

Russia to monitor Riyadh's planned peace meeting on Ukraine

Kremlin

Russia to monitor Riyadh's planned peace meeting on Ukraine

TEHRAN, (MNA) – Moscow will monitor a peace meeting on Ukraine planned in Saudi Arabia, but the goals of such a meeting are not yet clear, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"Undoubtedly, Russia will keep an eye on this meeting. We'd have to fully understand what goals are being set and what the organizers actually plan to talk about. We have repeatedly said that any attempts to somehow contribute to a peaceful settlement deserve a positive assessment," TASS quoted Peskov as saying.

At the same time, he pointed out that so far there are no preconditions for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine. "Is it possible to reach a peace settlement now with the participation of the Kyiv regime and in the context of its current stance? The answer is unambiguous. No, it is impossible. There are no prerequisites for this. President [Vladimir] Putin said this in particular. The Kyiv regime does not wish and cannot wish peace as long as it is used exclusively as a tool in the collective West’s war against Russia," the Kremlin spokesman concluded.

Saudi Arabia is preparing to host a summit to discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s plan for peace in his country amid the ongoing war, according to a senior official in Kyiv.

Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, said on Sunday that officials from several countries would take part in the Saudi Arabian summit but did not say when or in which city the meeting will be held.

The Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the summit citing “diplomats involved in the discussion”, said the talks would take place on August 5 and 6, in the city of Jeddah, with some 30 countries attending.

The Journal said Ukrainian and Western officials hope the efforts could culminate in a peace summit later this year where global leaders would sign up to shared principles for resolving the war.

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