Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is trying to position himself as a potential mediator to end the war between Ukraine and Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has arrived in Saudi Arabia with plans to visit the kingdom's powerful crown prince to urge an end to the invasion of Ukraine and the return of prisoners of war from Russia.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has expressed concerns about potential efforts to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, even as Riyadh continues to work closely with Russia on energy policy through the OPEC+ group. It is trying to position itself as an intermediary.
President Zelensky's visit on Tuesday came as Kiev forces are gradually being pushed back in eastern Ukraine. Military analysts say Russia is in the driver's seat, with a significant advantage in terms of troops and arms supplies, as Kiev awaits news of new supplies from the West. .
Ukraine's military announced on Tuesday that it had withdrawn troops from two more villages near Avdiivka in eastern Donetsk region after heavy night fighting, a Ukrainian military spokesperson said.
Dmytro Likhovy said on state television that Ukrainian troops had withdrawn from Siberne and Stepove. According to him, before the invasion began, the two villages had a combined population of about 100 people.
President Zelenskyy said Ukraine continues to “rely on Saudi Arabia's continued active support” to pursue what it calls a “peace equation” to end the full-scale invasion, and said it would not be able to move forward with the second invasion over the weekend. President Zelensky said on the X program that the anniversary has been reached. .
President Zelensky presented a 10-point peace formula calling for the expulsion of all Russian forces from Ukraine and accountability for war crimes during a period when the two countries fought in mostly static positions along a roughly 1,500-kilometre (930-kilometre) stretch. ing. -miles) at the forefront. Such an idea is immediately rejected by Moscow.
“The second item on the agenda is the return of prisoners of war and deportees,” Zelenskiy wrote. “The Kingdom's leadership is already contributing to the liberation of its people, and I am confident that this meeting will also yield results.”
The Ukrainian president said economic cooperation would also be discussed, although he did not elaborate.
The state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said Zelensky arrived at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport and was greeted by government officials.
The SPA report added that MBS also met with Russian Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin on Monday to discuss ways to promote parliamentary cooperation and “advancement of common concerns.”
In recent years, MBS, Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, has reached detente with Iran, pursued a peace deal with Yemen's Houthi rebels, and stepped forward as a leader in other crises around the world.
It comes after Saudi Arabia's involvement in the war in Yemen and in the face of widespread international condemnation over the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, which US intelligence agencies believe was linked to his involvement. MBS believes it was done on orders, but MBS denies this claim.
In May, President Zelenskiy visited Saudi Arabia for meetings with Arab leaders and also met with MBS.
Neighboring countries on the Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, have been participating in prisoner exchanges since the outbreak of war in 2022.