Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — Addressing the Arab Summit in Jeddah on Friday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the Arab countries to support his 10-point peace initiative to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Zelensky, who is making his first visit to Saudi Arabia, said in his address at the opening session of the summit that each of the summit delegates would receive the text of the 10-point peace plan. He asked the Arab leaders to work with Ukraine directly to end the war and establish peace in his country without any intermediaries.

In his address Zelensky said: “We do not possess the missiles that the enemy possesses, and we do not have air capabilities equal to the capabilities of the enemy..., but we remain strong because we know that the truth is on our side.”

He continued: “We are trying to push the invaders from our land. Anyone who defends his land and protects his children from enslavement, such a warrior is on the path of justice, and I am proud to say that I represent these warriors and fighters and all the Ukrainian people.”

The Ukrainian president, who is attending the summit at the invitation of Saudi Arabia, also emphasized that the Ukrainians never chose the path of war. “Our forces did not go to territories other than that of Ukraine’s, and we never started operations to plunder the resources of others, but we will never submit to any foreign country or anyone else, and we will continue the struggle,” he added.

Zelensky said: “I am sure we can all be united in saving people from the cages of Russian prisons. I invite all of you who respect peace to join the implementation of the peace formula and thus, to reduce enmity, wars, suffering and evil. Russia is weak, we beat it when it had more weapons in their hands. Its aggressiveness does not come from strength but from the understanding that the time of empires has passed,” he said.

Zelensky thanked Saudi Arabia for helping secure the release of foreign prisoners and called for moves to protect the Ukrainian Muslim community, a reference to Crimean Tatars in the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has mediated the conflict before. A few months ago, he successfully mediated the release of foreign prisoners held captive by Russia in its war with Ukraine.

In his opening speech at the summit, the Crown Prince said: “We affirm Saudi Arabia’s readiness to continue mediation efforts between Russia and Ukraine, and to support all international efforts aimed at resolving the crisis politically in a way that contributes to achieving security.”