Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday with a mission to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to advocate for a peace plan and the repatriation of prisoners of war from Russia. This visit is significant as Crown Prince Mohammed has positioned himself as a potential mediator in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, despite Saudi Arabia's close energy ties with Russia through the OPEC+ group.
Zelenskyy has been actively promoting what he calls a “Peace Formula” to bring an end to the full-scale invasion by Russia, which recently marked its second anniversary. The 10-point peace formula includes demands such as the withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukraine and accountability for war crimes, although these proposals have been swiftly dismissed by Moscow.
During his visit, Zelenskyy also aims to address the issue of the return of prisoners of war and deportees, expressing confidence in the support of Saudi Arabia in this matter. Economic cooperation between the two nations is also on the agenda for discussion.
The state-run Saudi Press Agency reported that Zelenskyy was warmly received by government officials upon his arrival at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. This visit comes in the context of Crown Prince Mohammed's recent efforts to play a role in resolving regional and global conflicts, following past controversies such as the Saudi-led war in Yemen and the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
Notably, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar have been actively involved in facilitating prisoner exchanges since the outbreak of the conflict in 2022. Zelenskyy's previous visit to Saudi Arabia in May for a meeting of Arab leaders underscores the ongoing diplomatic engagement between Ukraine and the Gulf states.
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