Kiev: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, following a scheduled meeting between Russian and U.S. officials in Riyadh the previous day, according to a statement from his spokesman.
In a press release to AFP, President Zelenskyy’s spokesman, Sergiy Nykyforov, confirmed the visit as part of a "long-planned official trip," which will include Zelenskyy’s wife. The president had previously announced the trip last week without revealing specific dates and made it clear that he had no plans to meet with Russian or U.S. officials during his visit.
The announcement from the Ukrainian leadership follows news that American and Russian officials are slated to meet in Riyadh on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, as the conflict nears its third year. The U.S. and Russia are expected to focus on potential paths toward ending the war, though speculation persists that Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump could hold direct talks in Riyadh. It remains unclear whether President Zelenskyy will join the discussions in a tripartite summit.
In an interview with AFP, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce appeared to confirm the planned summit, noting that Secretary of State Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will meet with the Russian delegation in Riyadh. Additionally, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Yuri Ushakov, President Putin’s diplomatic adviser, are expected to travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday ahead of the talks.
Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy announced on Monday that he had held a “meaningful conversation” with President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE in Abu Dhabi. The UAE has played a crucial role in facilitating the exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine, and Zelenskyy credited its mediation efforts with having “saved many lives.”
During their discussion, the two sides also signed an economic cooperation agreement and touched on humanitarian issues.
The opinions posted here do not belong to 🔰www.indiansdaily.com. The author is solely responsible for the opinions.
As per the IT policy of the Central Government, insults against an individual, community, religion or country, defamatory and inflammatory remarks, obscene and vulgar language are punishable offenses. Legal action will be taken for such expressions of opinion.