Saudi Arabia and Ukraine issued a joint statement Tuesday, the Saudi Press Agency said. Riyadh said that it hopes the efforts it is aiding will help end the crisis in Ukraine “in line with international law and the UN Charter.”
According to Arab News, “Kyiv also expressed appreciation for Riyadh’s efforts in hosting talks between Ukraine and the United States. In addition, the Ukranian side also expressed gratitude for the humanitarian and development aid provided by the Kingdom to Ukraine.”
Ukraine and US officials met in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to discuss the Ukraine war and whether a ceasefire might be offered to Russia.
Ukraine has been in the spotlight since the Trump administration came into office.
An icy meeting in the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky where he argued with US Vice-President JD Vance and with President Donald Trump illustrates the challenge that Riyadh has in bringing the US and Ukraine back together.
This is a new role for Saudi Arabia to play.
If it succeeds, then Riyadh could have a lot more clout, and it may lead to more work with the Trump administration.
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have played a positive role in the past in the Ukraine war, helping secure the release of prisoners on both sides.
These exchanges have given the Gulf states a reputation for helping to bring positive results with a degree of neutrality.
Riyadh has historically been a key partner of the US.
Saudi Arabia changes
However, over the last decade, there has been an increasing critique of Saudi Arabia, primarily in circles on the Left in the US and in circles linked to Qatar.
This was especially true during the first Trump administration when Saudi Arabia led the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt to cut ties with Qatar.
Things have changed now. Saudi Arabia has reconciled with Iran.
It is seeking more outreach to non-Western economic blocks. It also realizes that the West can be fickle and that it needs to hedge its bets.
On the other hand, Riyadh has positive memories of the first Trump administration.
It hosted a summit in 2017 with Trump and other Arab and Muslim leaders.
Riyadh also signed off on Bahrain and the UAE going into the Abraham Accords in 2020.
Since then, the Kingdom has watched closely how these Accords have developed. It was outplayed by Iran on October 7 as Iran sought to take control of the region.
Riyadh watches Israel closely. It wants Israel to make some moves toward supporting the Palestinians in exchange for normalization.
However, Saudi Arabia doesn’t want to step up too much in Gaza for fear it will get burned.
It has appeared to back a Cairo proposal for reconstruction. It has also reached out to the new government in Syria.
Saudi ties to Lebanon
Saudi Arabia also has historic ties to Lebanon, especially the Sunni community there.
It brokered the end to the Lebanese Civil War in 1989.
Riyadh may be watching closely to new talks between Israel and Lebanon aimed at dealing with various border disputes.
In addition, Riyadh has much to say about the Houthis beginning to escalate again, and it has interests in Iraq.
This is why Saudi Arabia’s role in the Ukraine talks is so important.
If the US and Russia can get a ceasefire in Ukraine, then it will be another win for the Trump administration after having gotten a ceasefire in Gaza.
Trump could position himself as the ceasefire president with a doctrine geared toward ending wars.
Saudi Arabia could be a key partner in this push for peace and stability.
This would likely require Riyadh to step up a bit in terms of engaging about Gaza and taking a larger role.
With more clout in the Trump White House, the Saudis could position themselves to be game changers in the region.
Time will tell and first the Ukraine ceasefire would need to see positive results; and Gaza will likely need to see a prolonged ceasefire as well.
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
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