Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the world is getting closer to participating in the peace summit, but that Russia's war against Ukraine can only end if Ukraine's peace plan is followed, Arab News reports.
In an exclusive interview, conducted via Zoom, Kuleba said it was “premature” to discuss specific locations or dates for a global summit, but said the dialogue is moving in the right direction — provided the Ukrainian peace formula is implemented.
Senior officials from 42 countries met in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 5 and 6 August in an attempt to draft key principles on ending war with Russia. The summit followed a similar forum in Copenhagen, Denmark, earlier this summer.
"Following the meeting in Jeddah, I can conclude that we're definitely moving in that direction at a good pace and this is going to happen," Kuleba said. "We are working hard with Saudi Arabia and other countries involved in arranging this summit, proposed by Ukraine.
"And the deliverable of this summit is very clear — that the peace formula of Ukraine, which is a comprehensive way to solve the conflict, will deliver, and all of the issues covered by this peace formula will begin to be implemented.
"This is the only way forward based on the UN Charter and international law."
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, has said he is hopeful that the diplomatic initiative will lead to a peace summit of world leaders in the autumn to endorse the principles, based on his own 10-point formula for a settlement.
He first presented the blueprint at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, last November.
It covered nuclear safety, food and energy security, the release of prisoners, the restoration of territory, the cessation of hostilities, accountability for war crimes, environmental safety, the prevention of future aggression, and confirmation of war's end.
The Jeddah meeting concluded without a closing press conference, but the Kingdom has maintained its desire to serve as a neutral intermediary between Russia and Ukraine. On Tuesday, the Saudi Cabinet described the Jeddah summit as a continuation of the Crown Prince’s initiatives and efforts to contribute to the achievement of a lasting peace and reducing the impact and humanitarian impact of the crisis.
Kuleba acknowledged the prominent role Saudi Arabia has played in efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis, starting from the prisoner swap it brokered in September 2022 to Zelenskyy's address to the Arab League in Jeddah in May this year and, most recently, as the host of this month's summit.
"I believe Saudi Arabia has been playing a very constructive role in the matters related to the Russian aggression against Ukraine," he said.