China Takes A Prominent Seat At The Table In Jeddah: Nations Meet in Saudi Arabia To Devise Diplomatic Solutions For Ukraine-Russia War

Nations meet in Saudi Arabia to deliberate on a diplomatic solution to end the Ukraine- Russia war. Contrary to Russia’s claim of the attempt to be a failure, in an interesting turn of events, Beijing praised the initiative undertaken to reach a ceasefire between the two countries. Chinese foreign ministry deemed the two- day meeting held in Jeddah to prove helpful in consolidating international consensus, Reuters reported. More than 40 nations- the BRICS group of countries including India and China , Ukraine, the United States, and European States, came together for the talk. Russia, although uninvited, admitted to be monitoring them, as per the state media. 

While  the summit laid foundation for more future discussions, Ukraine acknowledged China’s participation as a diplomatic victory- considering that  Beijing had resisted the previous round of talks, held in June, in Denmark. However, China’s attendance this time around can be ascribed to its burgeoning ties with Saudi Arabia over the last few years. 

Li Hui, the Chinese Special Representative on Eurasian Affair, participated in the summit and held extensive talks with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, China’s foreign ministry told Reuters. In a written statement issued by the Ministry, they further implied that Beijing would continue to work on strengthening dialogue based on a 12- point proposal they presented to Ukraine. Although China positions itself as neutral party to the conflict, leader Xi Jinping voiced Russian President  Vladimir Putins outlook on the war. 

Beijing’s refusal to condemn Russia’s insurgence has been viewed as an indication of China’s unwavering support for its key partner-Putin’s policies. However, Beijing did seek to maintain its image as an international peacekeeper, while Kyiv declared China’s presence as a major breakthrough. “Saudi Arabia has attracted China, and this is a historic victory,” said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, in a statement, preceding the summit. China had earned its pleasant diplomatic ties with the Middle East earlier this year when it mediated a landmark normalisation deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran. 

Russia looked down at the effort to assuage the situation in Ukraine as western efforts to mobilise the global south to support Zelensky’s formula and ascertained that it was ‘doomed to fail.’ Zelensky’s 10 point formula included- withdrawal of all Russian troops from Ukrainian land, release of all political prisoners and deportees, and an appeal for a tribunal to investigate the alleged Russian war crimes.Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Minister Sergei Ryabkov noted the participation of BRICS countries as a success, so as to “convey common sense to the Western patron of Kyiv.” Russia would also discuss the outcome of the summit with its BRICS partners, he added.

Russia seems to be unfazed by the diplomatic developments around, as the war approaches the 18-month mark. Nevertheless, Ukraine’s deputy defence minister also vests confidence in its forces as he states how the front line stands undeterred, despite Russia’s bombardment of nearly half-a-million munitions in last week alone.