Saudi Arabia is set to host Ukrainian peace talks on August 5 and 6, inviting Western states and major developing countries including India and Brazil, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. The meeting would bring senior officials from up to 30 countries, including Indonesia, Egypt, Mexico, Chile and Zambia, to Jeddah on Aug 5 and 6, the report said, citing diplomats involved in the discussion. Ukraine and Western officials hope that the talks can lead to international backing for peace terms favoring Ukraine, it said. Among the invited countries, it is not yet clear how many will attend, although countries that took part in a similar round of talks in Copenhagen in June are expected to do so again, the report said. Britain, South Africa, Poland and the EU are among those who have confirmed attendance and the US national security adviser Jake Sullivan is expected to attend, it added. Saudi Arabia's hosting of the talks come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in May attended an Arab League summit in Jeddah. Arab nations largely have remained neutral since Russia launched the war on Ukraine in February 2022. — Agencies with inputs from SG
