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Jeddah talks: Ukraine, allies push peace plan

The meeting, which is set to take place on August 5 and 6, will see the participation of national security advisers and other high-ranking officials from about 40 nations….reports Asian Lite News

Ukraine and its allies have come together to garner worldwide backing for a peace proposal. This blueprint will be the focal point of discussions scheduled to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, over this weekend.

The meeting, which is set to take place on August 5 and 6, will see the participation of national security advisers and other high-ranking officials from about 40 nations. The primary goal of this gathering is to reach a consensus on crucial principles aimed at putting an end to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian President’s office has unveiled a three-step strategy to implement Ukraine’s Peace Formula.

The first stage includes meetings between Ukrainian authorities and ambassadors accredited to Ukraine, aimed at discussing the Peace Formula in detail, Andriy Yermak, head of the president’s office, said on Wednesday in a Telegram post.

At the second stage, Kiev will hold talks with foreign national security advisers and political advisers to find mechanisms for the implementation of the peace plan, Yermak added.

According to Yermak, a global summit with the participation of world leaders to implement measures aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine would become the final stage of the peace strategy, Xinhua news agency reported.

The first international meeting to discuss Ukraine’s Peace Formula was held in Denmark in June, and the next meeting will be held in Saudi Arabia, Yermak said.

National security advisers and political advisers from countries in the West, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America will take part in the meeting, he noted.

According to Igor Zhovkva, the deputy head of the Ukrainian President’s office, representatives of more than 30 countries will participate in the meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on August 5-6.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky put forward a 10-point formula designed to achieve peace in Ukraine in November 2022.

Currently, direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia seem unlikely, given the ongoing intensity of the war, and Kyiv’s focus on a counter-offensive to regain lost territories.

However, Ukraine is adopting a different approach to pursue its vision of peace. Rather than engaging in direct talks, Ukraine is concentrating on building a larger coalition of diplomatic support beyond its core group of Western backers.

To achieve this, Ukraine aims to involve Global South countries like India, Brazil, South Africa, and Turkey in the peace-building process. By including nations from the Global South, Ukraine seeks to strengthen its diplomatic standing and garner more widespread support for its peace proposal.

This broader coalition of allies is expected to bolster Ukraine’s position and increase its leverage in seeking a resolution to the conflict with Russia.

India confirms participation

India will participate in the Ukraine peace talks to be hosted by Saudi Arabia on August 5-6, 2023, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

Saudi Arabia has invited several Western nations, Ukraine and some major developing countries to discuss the peace plan proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this year. The plan is said to include the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the withdrawal of Russian troops in addition to the release of all prisoners.

Russia has not been invited for the talks but it has said it will follow the discussions.

“India will participate in this event. Our participation is in consonance with our long-standing position that dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward,” MEA Official Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India response to a question at his weekly media briefing.

Bagchi, however, did not say who would represent the country at the summit. “We will let you know when I am in a position to do so,” he said.

Meeting Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima on May 20, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had conveyed India’s clear support for dialogue and diplomacy to find a way forward.

He said that for a resolution of the situation, India and he personally would do everything within their means, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said after the meeting.

India has also reiterated its support for the UN’s efforts in continuing the Black Sea Grain Initiative and expressed hope for an early resolution to the present impasse.

On Monday (July 17, 2023), Russia said it was terminating the implementation of the UN-brokered deal that allowed food exports from Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia through a shipping corridor in the Black Sea.

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