New Delhi: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has postponed his visit to Saudi Arabia, expressing his displeasure at being excluded from crucial peace talks concerning the ongoing war in Ukraine. The talks, held in Riyadh between US and Russian officials, apparently did not include Ukrainian representatives, a move that has seemingly irked Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy rescheduled his visit for March 10, emphasising his desire to avoid any perception of his trip being connected to the US-Russia discussions, The Associated Press reported. He has consistently maintained that any negotiations regarding Ukraine’s future must involve Kyiv directly. He reiterated this stance during the Munich Security Conference, warning against any agreements made without Ukraine’s participation.
“No decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine … Europe must have a seat at the table when decisions about Europe are being made,” Zelenskyy said last week.
Zelenskyy condemned the Riyadh meeting, stating that “fair” negotiations should include Ukraine and European stakeholders, such as the European Union, Turkiye and the UK. He emphasised the need for these parties to be involved in security guarantee discussions with the US, given the significant implications for the region.
“Ukraine, Europe in a broad sense – and this includes the European Union, Turkiye, and the UK – should be involved in conversations and the development of the necessary security guarantees with America regarding the fate of our part of the world,” Zelenskyy was quoted as saying by Aljazeera.
Speaking from Ankara, where he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Zelenskyy expressed his disappointment at the talks about Ukraine taking place “without Ukraine.” Erdoğan, during the meeting, offered Turkiye as an “ideal host” for future talks involving Russia, Ukraine, and the US. He described the US-Russia meeting in Riyadh as a diplomatic initiative initiated by Donald Trump and expressed support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Erdoğan referenced the previous Russia-Ukraine talks held in Turkiye in 2022, considering them a crucial point of reference and the closest the parties have agreed.
