Ukraine says talks in Saudi Arabia on ending war will be difficult 

Andriy Yermak, the head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office and his key envoy for the talks, said late on Friday in an interview published on his Telegram account.

Ukraine and its allies hope the meeting in Jeddah of senior officials from about 40 countries – but not Russia – will agree on key principles on how to end the war, The Guardian reports.

“I expect that the conversation will be difficult, but behind us is truth, behind us – goodness,” Andriy Yermak said.

The summit excludes Russia, but the Kremlin has warned it will "keep an eye" on it. China, which has a close relationship with Russia, said on Friday that it will send Li Hui, its special envoy for Eurasian issues, to the talks.

“We have many disagreements and we have heard different positions, but it is important that our principles are shared,” he said.

There is now no prospect of direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, according to Ukrainian, Russian, and international officials, as the war continues and Kyiv strives to recapture territory by a counter-offensive.

However, Ukraine's priority is to expand its diplomatic coalition beyond its core Western backers by reaching out to nations in the global south such as India, Brazil, and South Africa, many of which have stayed outwardly neutral.