Ukraine Calls for Air and Sea Truce After Russian Attacks
Ukraine’s President has reiterated his plea for an air and sea truce following a series of overnight Russian attacks that reportedly injured at least 18 people across the country. This marks one of the largest attacks on Ukraine this year.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has expressed its willingness to host a meeting between the United States and Ukraine next week. The Saudi Foreign Ministry confirmed that the talks will take place in the city of Jeddah, as the kingdom continues its efforts to achieve lasting peace and resolve the Ukrainian crisis.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine announced his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia on Monday for a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, ahead of further discussions with U.S. officials later in the week. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff also confirmed the planned meeting, stating that negotiations are underway to establish a framework for ending the ongoing conflict with Russia.
In February, Riyadh hosted talks between U.S. and Russian officials to address the conflict in Europe, excluding Ukraine from the discussions. This raised concerns in Kyiv and among its European allies.
2022 Istanbul Protocol
The upcoming meeting between the U.S. and Ukraine follows in the footsteps of talks that took place in Turkey in March 2022, shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Witkoff described the negotiations and resulting Istanbul protocol agreement as substantive, with both Russia and the U.S. viewing the draft accords as a potential foundation for a peace deal.
The 2022 Istanbul draft documents proposed Ukraine’s abandonment of NATO ambitions in exchange for security guarantees from the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, and France. However, disagreements arose over Russian demands, including a veto right over actions by guarantor states to aid Ukraine in case of an attack.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned that current negotiations could build upon the Istanbul Agreements. Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesperson clarified that Kyiv had not yet received any proposals from the U.S. regarding the use of the Istanbul documents for peace talks.
President Zelenskiy had previously rejected the Istanbul approach, citing it as an ultimatum demanding Ukraine’s surrender. Disagreements also centered on Russia’s demand for substantial reductions in Ukraine’s armed forces and weaponry.
(Source: Reuters)
