Ukraine peace plan meeting kicks off in Saudi Arabia

A two-day summit, set to last until Aug. 6, began in Jeddah, gathering senior officials from some 40 countries, except Russia, to discuss the implementation of Ukraine's peace formula between international partners.

The WSJ, which first reported on the meeting on July 29, listed Egypt, Mexico, Indonesia, Chile, and Zambia among the invitees, adding that some have already confirmed their participation. Those include the U.K., South Africa, Poland, and the European Union.

President Volodymyr Zelensky's Chief of Staff Andrii Yermak confirmed that national security advisers and political advisers to heads of state would attend the event.

"We are deeply convinced that the Ukrainian peace plan should be taken as a basis because the war is taking place on our land," Yermak said.

The summit comes as Russia and the West battle over the support of developing countries, which have mostly stayed neutral throughout Russia's 16-month-old full-scale war against Ukraine.

Ukraine's 10-point peace formula, supported by many Western allies, includes the restoration of the country's territorial integrity, a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, and judging those responsible for war crimes.