Saudi Arabia reiterates its readiness to mediate in the Ukrainian crisis
March 9, 2022, 8:34 am

Saudi Arabia reiterates its readiness to mediate in the Ukrainian crisis

King Salman of Saudi Arabia/Facebook page

The Asharq Al-Awast reported, the Saudi government reiterated on Tuesday the Kingdom's readiness to mediate between all parties in the Ukrainian crisis.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Riyadh.

The ministers highlighted the telephone talks Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, held with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

During the telephone calls, Crown Prince Mohammed stressed the Kingdom's support for all efforts that would help de-escalate the tensions and all international efforts aimed at reaching a political solution to the conflict.

The cabinet was briefed on the talks held between King Salman and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Thani, who had paid a visit to the Kingdom last week.

They reviewed the visit paid by the President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, to the Kingdom and the talks he held with Crown Prince Mohammed.

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They highlighted the interview Crown Prince Mohammed gave to The Atlantic last week, in which he underscored the major reforms and modernization underway in Saudi Arabia in line with Vision 2030.

The cabinet tackled the meeting of the Arab Interior Ministers that was held in Tunisia and Saudi Arabia's stressing of the importance of cooperation and intensifying joint coordination to preserve the security and stability of the region.

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It underlined the Strategy of the Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program that was announced by Crown Prince Mohammed on Monday.

The Strategy marks the beginning of a new era in the scholarship program that will contribute to improving the citizens’ competitiveness through upskilling the human capital in new and promising sectors to fulfill the needs of the future labor market. The Strategy is part of the Kingdom’s efforts to develop human capabilities and achieve the objectives of Vision 2030.

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The government noted the Kingdom's lifting of all coronavirus-related restrictions on Saturday, saying it reflects the success of national efforts to combat the virus.

Source: aawsat

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.