Top officials from more than 40 countries, including some with strong ties to Russia such as China and India, gathered in Saudi Arabia this weekend to discuss how to end the war in Ukraine.
For Ukraine, the talks are part of a bid to win the support of dozens of countries that have stayed on the sidelines of the war, further isolating Russia. The discussion did not involve Russia and did not result in a formal declaration or statement.
And yet there is a glimmer of progress. China, which did not attend previous talks in June, is an active participant this time and has indicated it is willing to attend a third round of talks – one that could be a prelude to a meeting of heads of state, according to a European Union official.
Nearly 18 months after Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine, diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have yielded few concrete results. One of the few tangible agreements was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey. But that deal, which allowed Ukraine to ship grain to the Black Sea, now lies in tatters, another sign that Russian President Vladimir V. Putin is digging for an extended conflict.
Part of the reason peace talks have failed so far is that both Ukraine and Russia are focused on grinding out territorial gains on the battlefield. And as the war drags on, fighting spreads, with Ukraine openly taking credit for attacks behind Russian lines. Attack drones are becoming more frequent sightings in Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed a 10-point plan that would hold Russia accountable for war atrocities, and require it to surrender all captured Ukrainian territory and pay potentially hundreds of billions in reparations for war damage, the Kremlin demands to refuse.
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, said in a statement on Monday that Russia will discuss the results of the talks with other BRICS countries — an acronym covering Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — that participated in the meeting. He described Mr. Zelensky’s proposal as “a senseless ultimatum to Russia,” aimed at “prolonging the conflict.”
However, the gathering in Jeddah, a Saudi port on the Red Sea, focused on some elements of Mr. Zelensky’s plan. The participants, the EU official said, agreed to start working in groups to address issues including global food security, nuclear safety, environmental security, humanitarian aid, release of prisoners of war and returning children separated from their families.
Over the past two days, Mr. Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, has held bilateral meetings with representatives of more than 30 countries. On the messaging app Telegram, he listed several countries: United States, Britain, Germany, Turkey, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. He did not say whether he met with representatives from China or India.
Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Mr. Zelensky, on Monday that “the only main ‘foundation for negotiations'” is the Ukrainian president’s proposal. “There can be no compromise positions,” he added in a social media post.
Matina Stevis-Gridneff contributed reporting.
