Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Monday chided efforts by international officials meeting in Saudi Arabia to find a peaceful settlement for the war in Ukraine, saying the talks don’t have “the slightest added value” because Moscow — unlike Kyiv — wasn’t invited. Senior officials from around 40 countries gathered Sunday in Jeddah for a two-day meeting that aims to agree on key principles about how to end the conflict that has raged for more than 17 months.
But without Russia’s participation and without taking into account Moscow’s interests, the meeting was pointless, a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said. It repeated previous assurances that Russia is open to a diplomatic solution on its terms that ends the war and that it is ready to respond to serious proposals.
But Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskyy, ruled out Moscow’s previous demands that would give Russia time to dig in deeper in the parts of Ukraine it has occupied. He said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Russian forces must fully withdraw from the occupied areas and there would be no Kyiv compromise on that.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Security Service announced on Monday it had detained an alleged Russian informant who gathered intelligence about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s trip to the southern Mykolaiv region last month.
It claimed the woman “was collecting data for an airstrike during Zelenskyy’s visit.”
The woman attempted to establish Zelenskyy’s route, times and visits in the region. She was detained when she tried to pass the information to the Russians, the statement said, without providing evidence.
Zelenskyy has been a prime target for the Kremlin since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, when he refused to leave Kyiv as Moscow’s forces approached. He has been one of Ukraine’s unexpected trump cards in the war, playing a key role in rallying public morale, including a nightly video address, and becoming a recognizable face across the world as he presses allies and others to help Ukraine.Also Monday, two Russian missiles hit the centre of Pokrovsk, a city in the Ukrainian-controlled part of the partially occupied Donetsk region in the east of the country. Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said the strike killed one civilian and wounded seven more, damaging two residential buildings and other civilian structures. Commenting on the attack, Zelenskyy charged that Russia is trying to leave “only broken and scorched stones” in eastern Ukraine. “We have to stop the Russian terror. Everyone who fights for the freedom of Ukraine saves lives,” Ukraine’s president said in a statement.
JEDDAH TALKS – Russian Critique, Ukrainian Response
Russian Critique of Saudi Talks: Russia’s Foreign Ministry criticizes international talks in Saudi Arabia on ending the Ukraine war, saying Moscow’s exclusion renders the discussions ineffective.
Absence of Russia’s Participation: Senior officials from around 40 countries gather in Jeddah for talks on ending the 17-month-long Ukraine conflict, but Russia’s absence and interests undermine the meeting’s value, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Ukrainian Response to Russian Demands: Adviser to President Zelenskyy, Mykhailo Podolyak, rejects Russia’s demands for more time in occupied areas, insisting on full withdrawal of Russian forces from these regions.
