NSA Ajit Doval leaves for Jeddah to join talks to end Ukraine war

New DelhI: India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval Friday left for Jeddah to join talks to end the Ukraine war. NewsDrum had said first that India would play a role in a ceasefire in Ukraine Russia conflict.

The talks will take place in Jeddah on August 5 and 6, with some 30 countries including China attending it. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will be among the others to be there.

If things move forward, it could culminate in a peace summit later this year where global leaders would sign up to 'shared principles" for resolving the war.

Essentially, the discussions will be on a Ukrainian peace formula as the basis. 

Ukraine's demands include the restoration of its territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression and security guarantees for Ukraine. Russia has rejected the formula in the past.

Last June, a gathering of senior officials discussed the formula in the Danish capital, Copenhagen. India, Turkey and South Africa were among the countries that were represented.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had attended a summit of Arab States where he had urged the West Asian nations to stand with his country against Russia.

Last year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with Russian leaders as well as with US officials on brokering a ceasefire, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterating to his counterparts that India was willing whatever is necessary to end the conflict.