Zelensky visits Saudi Arabia ahead of peace summit
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President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on social media on the evening of June 12 that he had arrived in Saudi Arabia on a previously unannounced visit.
Zelensky said on social media that he had a "meaningful and energetic meeting with His Highness Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman al Saud."
The two discussed bilateral relations and the preparations for the peace summit, Zelensky said, noting "the good dynamics of the implementation of our previous agreements."
German news agency DPA reported on June 2 that Saudi Arabia was not planning to attend the upcoming peace summit in Switzerland on June 15-16 due to Russia not attending.
Diplomatic sources reportedly told the agency that Zelensky had postponed an earlier planned visit to Saudi Arabia, which he hoped would rally support for the summit, until after the summit took place.
Saudi Arabia hosted an international summit on the peace formula in August 2023. The country has also played an important role in negotiating prisoner exchanges with Russia, allowing Ukraine to achieve a major exchange involving nearly 300 people in September 2022.
At the same time, Saudi Arabia has maintained close economic ties with Russia, which have strengthened following the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Russia's subsequent economic isolation from the West.
The previous meeting between Zelensky and bin Salman was held in February.
