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Arab leaders, joined by Syrian President Bashar Assad for the first time in more than a decade, were holding an annual summit Friday in Saudi Arabia, with a focus on Sudan and other conflicts – and a surprise visit by Ukraine’s president.
The meeting comes as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pursues regional diplomacy with the same vigor he previously brought to the oil-rich kingdom’s confrontation with its archrival Iran and regional proxies.
In recent months, Saudi Arabia has restored diplomatic ties with Iran, is ending the kingdom’s yearslong war against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen and has led the push for Syria’s return to the Arab League, 12 years after its membership was suspended over Assad‘s bloody crackdown against Arab Spring protests.
The Saudis have even offered to mediate between Ukraine and Russia, following a prisoner exchange deal they brokered last year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Friday he has kicked off a visit to Saudi Arabia, aiming to “enhance bilateral relations and Ukraine’s ties with the Arab world.” Among other topics he mentioned were Russia’s annexation of Crimea, a peace “formula,” and energy cooperation.
He said he would address the summit. Arab states have remained largely neutral over Russia‘s war on Ukraine, with many maintaining close ties to Moscow.
As leaders from the 22-member league meet in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, attention is expected to shift to Sudan. The East African country’s top generals – both of whom have been backed by Saudi Arabia and other Arab states – have been battling each other across the country for over a month, killing hundreds and sparking an exodus from the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere.
Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, leader of the armed forces, and Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, agreed to a pact in Jeddah last week that promised safe passage for civilians fleeing the fighting and protection for aid groups.
