Ukraine war: secret peace talks with Russia hit a roadblock, insiders reveal
8:24 PM EST, January 9, 2024
The talks took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
On December 16, talks among security advisors took place in Saudi Arabia. This followed several broader meetings with the intention of deterring Russian attempts to instigate divisions between Ukraine and its allies.
The privacy allowed individual countries to participate without fear of exposure. Furthermore, the intimate setting permitted a more open and frank discussion regarding Ukraine's peace concept and possible Russian participation principles in the negotiations.
A meeting without advancement
These sources reveal that the meeting in Riyadh made no significant progress. Ukraine and the G7 allies persist in refusing the Global South countries' insistence on direct negotiations with Russia.
Kyiv and the G7 allies reiterated their stance that authentic peace should respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. Allies pledged their ongoing support to Ukraine, while the EU and US voiced their optimism over their nations approving aid packages for Ukraine.
Representatives from India, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey were in attendance. However, other significant Global South countries, such as China, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates, which attended previous meetings, were not present.
Beijing, due to its strong ties, is seen by many participating nations as a key player capable of influencing Russia. Meanwhile, Brazil, this year's presiding nation of the G20 group, sent a written statement to Riyadh.
The waning support from Ukraine's allies
Bloomberg highlighted the dwindling support of allies in recent months. The procedure to approve over $100 billion in vital aid for Ukraine is currently in limbo in Washington, D.C. and Brussels. Moreover, last year's Ukrainian counteroffensive failed to achieve any major breakthrough.
In addition, some EU countries are falling short in fulfilling their promises to supply Ukraine with more substantial amounts of arms and ammunition as the country continues to face repeated Russian missile attacks.
Source: Bloomberg
