Ukraine's Zelensky in Saudi Arabia to discuss POW swaps

Updated 27 Feb, 2024

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday said that he had arrived in Saudi Arabia to promote his peace plan and discuss potential prisoners of war exchanges.

Saudi Arabia maintains ties with both Moscow and Kyiv and has mediated between the two warring sides before, including a deal in September 2022 that freed over 200 captive Ukrainians.

"The kingdom's leadership has already contributed to the release of our people. I am confident this meeting will also yield results," Zelensky said on X, formerly Twitter.

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"We will also discuss promising areas of economic cooperation and Saudi Arabia's involvement in Ukraine's reconstruction," Zelensky added.

He said the two sides would also hold dialogue on Ukraine's "Peace Formula", which calls for the full withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.

Saudi Arabia hosted talks on the Ukraine war last year in a bid to flex its diplomatic muscle, bringing together representatives from nearly 40 countries, but not Russia.

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