(Riyadh) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for an unannounced visit, Saudi state media reported, as Riyadh seeks to remain neutral in the war between Ukraine and Russia.
His plane landed in the Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah, where he was greeted by Saudi officials, including the national security adviser and the ambassador in Kyiv, the official Saudi news agency SPA said.
No details about the visit schedule were immediately available.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s top crude exporter, works closely with Moscow on oil policy and has touted its ties with Moscow and Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, positioning itself as a possible mediator in the war.
He visited not only his traditional allies in the European Union, but also countries in the Middle East and Asia that have closer relations with Russia.
Earlier this month, the Ukrainian leader visited Singapore, the Philippines and Qatar.
Representatives from around 90 countries are expected to meet in Switzerland to discuss Kyiv’s plan to end the war.
Mr. Zelensky has convinced many officials to attend, but Riyadh has not yet indicated that he will go, diplomats from the Gulf region told AFP last week.
The summit comes as Russia has made some progress on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine, with Kyiv’s forces facing a shortage of men and ammunition.
Mr Zelensky called on Ukraine’s allies to step up deliveries of air defence equipment to Kyiv.
As he arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, Kyiv announced that a Russian strike on his hometown of Kryvyi Rig had killed eight people and wounded two dozen others.
In September 2022, Riyadh helped release foreign fighters detained in Ukraine, including two Americans and five Britons.
In March 2023, a Saudi official told reporters that his country remained willing to contribute to mediation to end the conflict.
In August last year, Saudi Arabia hosted war talks attended by representatives from more than 40 countries, but Russia did not attend.
Mr. Zelensky attended a May 2023 Arab League summit in Jeddah where he accused some leaders of turning a blind eye to the horrors of the Russian invasion.
Most recently, he came to the kingdom in February where he spoke with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, about a peace plan and to discuss possible prisoner swaps of war.
Saudi Arabia has not confirmed whether it will participate in the Ukraine peace summit scheduled for this weekend in Switzerland, diplomats from the Gulf region told AFP last week.
The kingdom has pledged hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including stipends for Ukrainian refugees who have fled to neighboring countries.
