Ukraine starts new diplomatic push to weaken Russia

KYIV – Ukraine will make a renewed push this weekend at a gathering in Saudi Arabia to win the support of dozens of countries that have remained on the sidelines of the war – the start of a broader campaign in the months ahead to build the diplomatic muscle to isolate and weaken Russia.

Ukraine and Saudi Arabia invited diplomats from some 40 governments to talks in the Red Sea port of Jeddah.

Notable among them were China, India, Brazil, South Africa and some of the oil-rich Gulf nations that have tried to maintain good relations with both Ukraine and Russia throughout the war, which began in February 2022.

Many of the invited governments reject the very concept of choosing sides, framing the war as a contest between global powers that they want no part in, and even with the event fast approaching, it was unclear how many would attend.

The meeting is the starting point of what is expected to be a major Ukrainian diplomatic push in the coming months to try to undercut Russia.

It began Wednesday, when president Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine recalled his ambassadors for an emergency strategy session on how to get the country’s message out to the world.

He told the ambassadors they must use every tool at their disposal – “official and unofficial, institutional and media, cultural diplomacy and the power of ordinary human sincerity” – to convince both steadfast allies and nations that have largely stayed neutral that the only road to a lasting peace is complete Russian defeat.

The annual United Nations General Assembly session in September will offer another opportunity for Ukraine to make its case. The country is also planning a summit later in the fall to shore up backing for its 10-point peace formula in the hopes that it will form the backbone of any future settlement.

For Ukraine, the gathering comes at a pivotal moment.

As furious battles rage across the front lines of Europe’s bloodiest war in decades, Mr Zelensky told his diplomats on Wednesday that things would grow even more difficult as pressure was likely to build in the coming months to find a negotiated path to peace.

The choice of Saudi Arabia as host was no accident, senior Ukrainian officials said, noting the efforts that Kyiv has made to court the resource-rich kingdom.

Like many countries in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has toed a careful line in the war, giving financial aid to Ukraine even while cultivating close ties to Russia.

China, which shunned a similar gathering in June in Copenhagen, Denmark, said it would attend the Saudi meeting, which may reflect its deepening ties with the host country. Beijing brokered an important diplomatic agreement this year that restored Saudi relations with arch rival Iran.

China has tried to walk a tightrope on the war by claiming neutrality despite providing Russia with vital support that has helped cushion the effects of economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation.