July 4, 2023
This weekend, Saudi Arabia hosts an international meeting about peace in Ukraine – however, Russia is not invited. At the time of writing, it is not known whether China would – but it must be seen as very unlikely, although some participating countries pretend to say that there is a fair chance it will this time while it stayed away from the preceding Copenhagen meeting.
With US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, being there, one can guess that it is, for all practical purposes, part of a US strategy after the fatal NATO Summit in Vilnius at which Ukraine’s NATO membership was cancelled – and all promises to it since 2008 broken.
Saudi Arabia has not issued anything about the meeting; for instance, its “Arab News” carries nothing today.
If peace in Ukraine were the real purpose of this meeting, it would have been planned completely differently and not hosted by Saudi Arabia. And it would not have taken place now when the main parties are consumed by the – wrong and wishful – assumption that they shall indeed win if they just fight a little longer and harder.
So apart from being a PR event for Saudi Arabia, it must be assumed to be about how to make some more countries gang up against Russia, how to get more help with weapons and ammunition to Ukraine and how try to win a few Global South countries by referring to Russia and the grain no-deal.
If it is true that the meeting will have Ukrainian President Zelensky’s 10-Point plan as a main focus, there is simply not going to be anything but public relations. None of the participants can be expected to have a clue about how to mediate, solve conflicts nonviolently and how to shape a process towards a ceasefire and what comes after it – and that plan amounts to little but a plan for Russia’s capitulation, withdrawal and legal punishment.
That is not going to go anywhere, except into the Saudi desert…
Four days ago, Iran’s international PressTV asked Mr Gilberg Doctorow and me to discuss these issues. You’re most welcome to see it here:
Running into the desert: Saudi Arabia making peace in Ukraine added by JO on
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