Summary:
- Ukraine conducted peace plan talks in Saudi Arabia with over 40 countries present, excluding Russia.
- Ukraine's efforts to push Russian troops out of its territory were discussed, aiming for both military and diplomatic resolution.
- Russia's absence from the talks led to Moscow dismissing the event as a hoax.
Ukraine peace plan talks wrapped up in Saudi Arabia over the weekend. More than 40 countries were in attendance to hear the pitch from Ukraine and its allies. Notably absent was Russia. In light of not being invited, Moscow has referred to the talks as a hoax.
Ambassador, thank you for joining us. Before we get into the peace plan talks, Ukraine says it thwarted an assassination plot targeting President Zelensky. What's your take on that and how is that going to complicate any potential peace talks? Well, Manuel, this is not the first attempt on President Zelensky's life. We remember right at the beginning of the war, right at the beginning of this new phase of the war back in February of 2022, the Russians were on the outskirts of Kiev. The Russians were almost downtown Kiev. And there were assassination squads looking for President Zelensky at that time. And at that time, President Zelensky was offered a way out, offered a way to get to a safe place somewhere.
And he famously said, I need ammunition, not a ride. This is not a man that is going to be intimidated. The security forces have been very careful with him. They are protecting him, although he's been all over the country, indeed, all over the world. So in answer to your question, this is not going to stop his desire, his intent, to push the Russians out of his country. Can you talk about a peace plan and knowing that these talks have happened before? What makes at this time these talks more serious, if you will, or even more likely to succeed? So, Jerika, these talks over the weekend in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, were not negotiations. The Russians were not invited.
Saudi Arabians did not, the Saudis did not invite the Russians. They, at the request of the Ukrainians, gathered a group of nations to listen to the Ukrainians, make the case for support. The Ukrainians are trying in every way possible, militarily, diplomatically, to push the Russians out. And they hope to convince these nations in Saudi Arabia this weekend to push the Russians, to influence the Russians, to push hard on the Russians to get their troops out of Ukraine. That's their goal. They will do it militarily, but they hope to do it diplomatically as well. How is it possible, though, to even reach a solution if you don't have Russia at the table? Again, this is not negotiation.
The negotiations will come. And the Ukrainians have been very clear. When the Russians are out of their country, the Ukrainians will sit down with the Russians to have these conversations. But they are not going to get, the Ukrainians are not going to give the Russians the right, the ability to occupy part of their country. They know what happens when the Russians occupy part of the country. Atrocities, war crimes, rapes, kidnappings, they don't want to do that to their fellow Ukrainian citizens. So they want the Russians out.
At that point, they'll negotiate. And then it'll be face to face. They also, by the way, I was there last week, the Ukrainians are very eager to have other nations sit with them at the table like the Americans. Okay, Ambassador William Taylor, as you noted, peace talks and then negotiations, hopefully. Thank you. Thank you, Jerika.