Saudi Gazette report

WASHINGTON — Saudi Arabia’s vote for the United Nations General Assembly resolution on Oct. 12 condemning the annexation of four Ukrainian regions is the latest example of the Kingdom’s firm position on peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine, according to Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States.

In a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Oct. 14, Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman emphasized that the Kingdom’s vote for the resolution condemning the annexation emanates from its commitment to the deep-rooted principles in the UN Charter and international law, and its commitment to the respect of the state sovereignty and the principles of good neighborliness, in addition to resolving conflicts by peaceful means, she said in a statement issued by the Saudi Embassy in Washington.

It is noteworthy that Saudi Arabia supported in March this year another resolution at the UN General Assembly in line with its principled position supporting international law, the UN Charter, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, including Ukraine.

The statement also highlighted the Crown Prince’s matchless leadership role in resolving the conflict ever since the breakout of conflict. He pledged full support for efforts to de-escalate the crisis during his phone calls with Russian President Putin and Zelenskyy. The Crown Prince also articulated the Kingdom’s readiness to mediate between the parties to the conflict and pledged its strong support for all international efforts to find a political resolution to the crisis.

Apart from political and diplomatic initiatives, the Crown Prince is also at the forefront of humanitarian initiatives to alleviate the suffering of people caused by the war, the embassy statement pointed out, while citing the successful mediation efforts of the Crown Prince that led to the release of 10 foreign prisoners of war from Russia. The Crown Prince announced an additional humanitarian aid package, amounting to $400 million for Ukraine, to ease the suffering of the war, the statement pointed out.