Operations-wise, most contingency planning seems to be by sea, enabling movement of larger groups
world23 hours ago
China said on Friday it would send a senior official to Saudi Arabia for weekend talks on the war in Ukraine that exclude Russia, a diplomatic coup for Ukraine, the West and the Saudi hosts.
Ukrainian and Western diplomats hope the meeting in Jeddah of national security advisers and other senior officials from some 40 countries will agree on key principles for a future peace settlement to end Russia's war in Ukraine.
Chinese Special Envoy for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui will visit Jeddah for the talks, China's foreign ministry said on Friday.
"China is willing to work with the international community to continue to play a constructive role in promoting a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine," Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson at the Chinese ministry, said in a statement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday he hoped the initiative will lead to a "peace summit" of leaders from around the world this autumn to endorse the principles, based on his own 10-point formula for a settlement.
Zelensky's plan includes respect for Ukraine's territorial integrity and the withdrawal of Russian troops, anathema to Moscow which claims to have annexed occupied Ukrainian territory forever.
Ukrainian, Russian and international officials say there is no prospect of direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia at the moment, as the war continues to rage and Kyiv seeks to reclaim territory through a counter-offensive.
ALSO READ:
Ukraine aims to build a bigger coalition of diplomatic support beyond its core Western backers, by reaching out to Global South countries such as India, Brazil and South Africa, many of which have remained publicly neutral.
"One of the main aims of this round of negotiations will be to finally fix a common understanding of what the 10 points are about," Ihor Zhovkva, Zelensky's chief diplomatic adviser, told Reuters on Thursday.
Operations-wise, most contingency planning seems to be by sea, enabling movement of larger groups
world23 hours ago
Kaohsiung mayor warns city to steel itself for 'disaster'
world1 day ago
Global warming, combined with the silting of the Paraiba River, has contributed to the erosion of Atafona's coast and caused the destruction of 500 houses
world1 day ago
The findings by the Copernicus Marine Service underscore the consequences of a warming planet on oceans, which cover 70 per cent of earth's surface and acts as a major regulator of the climate
world1 day ago
The closure of Ratcliffe-on-Soar marks a symbolic step in the UK's ambition to decarbonise electricity by 2030, and become carbon neutral by 2050
world1 day ago
When it was announced a month ago that the elderly pandas would soon be returned to China to be treated for high blood pressure, visitors flocked to see the pair before they left
world1 day ago
She faces being barred from public office for up to 10 years
world1 day ago
The poll will decide which party controls parliament's lower house
world1 day ago