Saudi Arabia is set to host Ukraine peace talks next month, inviting Western countries, Ukraine, and major developing nations, including India and Brazil, The Wall Street Journal reported on July 29, citing diplomats involved in the discussions.
Senior officials from up to 30 countries, including Indonesia, Egypt, Mexico, Chile, and Zambia have been invited to the meeting in Jeddah on August 5-6, the report said.
It is not clear how many of them will attend. Britain, South Africa, Poland, and the European Union are among those who have confirmed attendance and the U.S. national-security adviser, Jake Sullivan, is expected to attend, the WSJ said. The talks exclude Russia.
The report said, Ukraine and Western officials hope that the talks can lead to international backing for peace terms favoring Ukraine. Kyiv says negotiations with Russia would only be possible after Moscow withdraws its troops.
Russia -- which claims to have annexed around a sixth of Ukraine -- has said it is open to peace talks with Ukraine but that they must take account of these "new realities" on the ground.
