At the beginning of January, it became known that last month a closed meeting was held between Ukraine, the G7 countries and a small group of states of the Global South, with the aim of gaining support for Ukrainian conditions for holding peace talks with Russia. According to Bloomberg, the meeting of national security advisers took place on December 16 in Saudi Arabia and was of a secret nature to ensure the comfort of the participating countries.
According to the sources, this format made it possible to more openly discuss the Ukrainian peace formula and plans for its implementation, as well as to discuss the principles of future cooperation with Russia. Recently, the efforts of the allies, in particular in the USA and the EU, have suffered delays in connection with the approval of aid in Washington and Brussels, and Ukraine's counteroffensive has not led to a significant change in the situation on the front.
According to senior officials, the last meeting in Riyadh did not bring significant results. Ukraine and its allies continue to oppose proposals by the countries of the South to interact directly with Russia. Against this background, the Russian side condemned the allies' attempts to resolve the issue without its participation.
While senior officials from India, Saudi Arabia and Turkey attended the December meeting in Riyadh, representatives from other major countries in the Global South such as China, Brazil and the UAE were absent. According to sources, many participating countries see Beijing as a key factor influencing Moscow due to close ties between Russia and China.
Kyiv and its G7 allies defined their attitude to the situation, confirming the importance of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. They also emphasized that the position of Russian leader Vladimir Putin remains unchanged, and he does not express a serious desire to conduct constructive negotiations.
It was jointly stated that support to Ukraine would be continued, and the EU and the US expressed confidence that aid packages would be agreed upon. It is important to note that a large aid package of more than 100 billion dollars from the US and the EU is still under consideration by the respective governments.
Negotiations with Russia
Last December, The New York Times reported on "signals" from Russian leader Vladimir Putin about a desire to freeze the war against Ukraine and start negotiations. It was noted that Putin is proposing to stop hostilities on the current front lines. Similar signals were sent a year ago.
Analysts believe that the Kremlin can use these "signals" to change the situation at the front and reduce aid from allies. Ukraine confirms its readiness for a quick end to the war, but on its own terms and within the framework of international law.
