On December 16, a secret meeting was held between Ukraine, its G7 allies and a small group of countries from the Global South in Saudi Arabia to try to secure their support for Ukrainian conditions for peace talks with the Russian Federation.
What is known about the secret meeting
As noted, a previously undisclosed meeting of national security advisers took place on December 16 in Saudi Arabia. It followed larger and more public meetings aimed at countering Russia's attempts to divide and portray Ukraine and its allies as unwilling to negotiate an end to the war.
The secrecy was partly intended to make the participating countries feel more comfortable during the meeting.
According to the sources, the smaller format allowed for a more accessible and more frank discussion of the Ukrainian peace formula and plans to advance this process, as well as the principles of potential cooperation with Russia in the future.
Allied efforts have weakened in recent months. In the US and the EU, more than 100 billion dollars of vital aid has stalled in the approval process in Washington and Brussels, and Ukraine's counteroffensive last year did not bring a serious breakthrough on the battlefield, the publication writes.
No significant progress was made at the latest meeting in Riyadh, according to people familiar with the proceedings. According to their information, Ukraine and its G7 allies continued to resist the calls of the countries of the South to interact directly with Russia.
While senior officials from India, Saudi Arabia and Turkey attended the December meeting in Riyadh, other major countries of the Global South that have participated in some of the previous significant sessions, including China, Brazil and the UAE, did not send representatives.
The sources said that many participating countries see Beijing as a key influencer on Moscow, given the close ties between the two countries. Brazil, which chairs the G20 this year, submitted a written statement.
As the publication notes, Kyiv and its G7 allies confirmed their opinion that a just peace must respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
They also said that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's goals have not changed, and he has shown no sign of a severe desire to negotiate on the merits and is not sticking to previously reached agreements.
Allies have clarified that they will continue to support Ukraine, and the EU and the US have expressed confidence that aid packages will be agreed upon.
Russia, in turn, condemned the Allies' efforts during a secret meeting to which it was not invited.
Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia
In December 2023, the American publication The New York Times reported, citing sources, that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is allegedly sending "signals" to the West about his desire to freeze the war against Ukraine and start negotiations.
According to two former senior Russian officials close to the Kremlin and US and international officials, Putin is proposing to freeze hostilities along the current lines, the publication said. Putin also sent the same signals a year earlier — in the fall of 2022.
According to Andriy Yusov, a DIU representative, Moscow wants a quick end to the war despite the claims of Russian propaganda. Ukraine also wants this on its own terms and by international law.
According to analysts of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Kremlin can use "signals" to the West about its alleged readiness to put the war against Ukraine "on pause" in an attempt to reduce defence assistance from partner countries. Experts reminded that similar manipulations on the part of the Russian dictator Putin have already occurred, particularly regarding negotiations.
