Moscow Expects BRICS States to Inform Russia About Course of Jeddah Talks on Ukraine

12:19, 7 August 2023

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - On August 5-6, senior officials from almost 40 nations met in Saudi Arabia to discuss a peace plan on Ukraine crisis, promoted by the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. Russia was not invited to participate in the talks.

Sputnik

Russia expects that BRICS countries that took part in the meeting on Ukraine in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah over the weekend to inform Moscow about the course of the consultations, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Monday.

"We expect that, in accordance with the agreements, they [BRICS countries] will share their assessments with us and reaffirm our position on the so-called peace formula of [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky, which the Kiev regime and the West are trying to promote during such meetings. None of its 10 points is aimed at finding a negotiated and diplomatic solution to the crisis," Zakharova said in a statement.

The peace plan proposed by Zelensky is "a senseless ultimatum to Russia, which is aimed at protracting hostilities," the diplomat said, adding that in this case, a peaceful settlement is impossible.

"By promoting Zelensky's 'formula,' the Kiev regime and the West are trying to downplay the high value of other countries' peace proposals and monopolize the very right to propose them. In essence, as we said, there is a fight against dissent at the international level, attempts to push through unviable settlement ideas through unscrupulous manipulations," the statement read.

Russia has always been and remains open to a diplomatic solution to the crisis and is ready to respond to really serious proposals, the spokeswoman said, adding that without the participation of Russia and taking into account its interests, no meetings on the Ukrainian crisis have any value.

"We are convinced that a truly comprehensive, sustainable and fair settlement is possible only if the Kiev regime stops hostilities and terrorist attacks, and its Western sponsors stop pumping weapons into the armed forces of Ukraine," she added.