The Czech Republic has been invited to attend a summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in early August, where discussions about the conditions for peace in Ukraine are scheduled to take place. Notably, Russia has not received an invitation to the meeting. However, the specific representative from the Czech Republic who will participate in the summit has not been confirmed yet, as per State Department spokesman Daniel Drake’s announcement on Sunday.
According to reports from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the summit is expected to involve representatives from approximately 30 Western countries and key developing nations, all aiming to garner broad international support for a peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian conflict. The United States and Europe hope to empower Ukraine itself to determine the terms of this peace. The scheduled meeting, slated for August 5 and 6, will also include participation from India and Brazil.
The primary objective of the summit is to establish common principles for resolving the conflict in Ukraine. These principles are envisioned to serve as a foundation for future peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, with an emphasis on favorable terms for Kiev. It is worth noting that the WSJ suggests Russia’s exclusion from the August peace talks. Instead, participants will agree on a roadmap of peace demands, which they will later present to Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently asserted that peace negotiations with Russia are contingent on the withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied Ukrainian territories. In contrast, Moscow remains steadfast in its demands, including the parts of Ukraine annexed last year.
Recent pressure for peace between Russia and Ukraine has escalated, but Russian President Vladimir Putin now deems achieving peace as unrealistic. Despite this stance, he does not rule out ceasefire talks in Ukraine, which experienced Russian invasion last year. During a press conference after meeting with African states, Putin highlighted that representatives from African countries at the St. Petersburg summit had suggested a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Nonetheless, Putin views this proposal as impractical, citing the ongoing Ukrainian counter-offensive as a reason for his skepticism. He expressed reluctance, stating that Russia cannot halt the fire while facing attacks.
