Saudi Arabia concluded a meeting with Ukrainian authorities, including nearly 40 countries on Saturday evening after several hours of statements from the various delegations. 

The organisers of the meeting from Ukraine said Russia was not part of the lengthy closed discussion, according to France24. 

The report said no final declaration was due to be released, though some delegations were planning to take part in bilateral meetings in Jeddah on Sunday, participants said.https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.584.2_en.html#goog_996955347

Organisers succeeded in bringing together representatives of the four members of the influential BRICS bloc which were Brazil, India, China and South Africa.

However, the head of Brazil’s delegation, foreign policy adviser Celso Amorim, used his prepared remarks to stress that “any real negotiation must include all parties,” including Russia, according to a copy of his statement. 

“Although Ukraine is the biggest victim, if we really want peace, we have to involve Moscow in this process in some form.”

“I predict that the conversation will not be easy, but the truth is on our side,” the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said in an interview broadcast on Friday.

“We have many disagreements and we have heard many positions, but it is important that we share our principles,” said Yermak, who headed Kyiv’s delegation to the talks.

“Our task is to unite the whole world around Ukraine.”

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, failing in its attempt to take the capital but seizing swathes of eastern territory that Western-backed Ukrainian troops are fighting to recapture.

Source: The Vanguard