KYIV, Ukraine: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to visit Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for an official trip, his spokesperson Sergiy Nykyforov confirmed on Monday, as cited by AFP.
The visit will take place one day after a meeting between top US and Russian officials in Riyadh aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Sergiy Nykyforov said Zelensky would visit Saudi Arabia with his wife as part of a “long-planned” official visit.
Zelensky last week announced the visit along with stops in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey adding he had no plans to meet Russian or US officials.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed on Monday in Saudi Arabia his first since assuming office.
Zelensky on Monday said that he had held a “meaningful conversation with President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.”
The UAE has played a significant role in facilitating the exchange of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners and Zelensky said its mediation had “saved many lives.”
Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stated that Zelensky’s trip would focus on signing economic agreements with various regional partners.
Svyrydenko expressed optimism about deepening ties with Middle Eastern countries, highlighting key areas of interest such as infrastructure projects, energy investments, innovation, and agribusiness, particularly fertilizer production, where Saudi Arabia holds expertise.
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According to Ukraine’s state news agency, Ukrinform, President Volodymyr Zelensky during a press conference in Abu Dhabi has emphasised that Ukraine will not participate in the upcoming talks between U.S. and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia.
He stressed that Ukraine will not recognise any results of the talks in Saudi Arabia that will take place without Ukraine.
Ukrinform reported that a meeting of high-ranking US and Russian officials to discuss a possible agreement to end the war in Ukraine and prepare for a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will take place on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia.
