Saudi Prince
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman assured Russian President Vladimir Putin that the kingdom supports “all initiatives” aimed at ending the Ukraine war, according to a statement released on Friday.
His remarks came after U.S.-Ukraine talks in Jeddah proposed a 30-day ceasefire.
During a phone call with Putin, the crown prince reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to “facilitating dialogue and supporting all initiatives aimed at achieving a political resolution,” the Saudi foreign ministry said.
Putin, however, expressed skepticism about the ceasefire plan, stating on Thursday that he had “serious questions” about its terms. The proposal emerged following discussions in Jeddah earlier in the week.
Meanwhile, Washington agreed to resume military and intelligence-sharing operations with Ukraine, which had been suspended after President Volodymyr Zelensky’s dispute with former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Speaking in Jeddah, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the next move was up to Russia, stating, “The ball is now in their court.”
According to a Kremlin statement, Putin told Prince Mohammed that he recognized the importance of resolving the Ukraine conflict and expressed a willingness to contribute to improving Russian-American relations.
Last month, Saudi Arabia also facilitated talks between Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during which both sides agreed to form negotiation teams to explore a path toward ending the three-year war.
