Russian FM meets Saudi crown prince in Riyadh

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Riyadh on Monday where he met with Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other officials from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council.

Gulf monarchies have strived to remain neutral in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.

The talks between the Saudi prince and Russian minister focused on "recent international and regional developments," the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

Earlier on Monday, Lavrov met with foreign ministers of the GCC, a Riyadh-based organisation comprising Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman, all traditionally partners of the United States.

Saudi Arabia, the world's largest exporter of crude oil, has closely collaborated with Moscow on oil policy, but has ties with both Moscow and Kyiv since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has positioned itself as a potential mediator.

The Gulf monarchy has received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on several occasions, including during his participation in an Arab League summit in May 2023 in Jeddah.

The kingdom has promised hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including for Ukrainian refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries.

During a press conference, GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi stressed the "neutrality" of the whole Council.

He told reporters that the GCC countries "stand at equal distance" between Russians and Ukrainians.

The United Arab Emirates announced in late August that it had mediated a prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia, leading to the release of 230 captives.

Emirati mediation in June resulted in a prisoner of war exchange involving 90 prisoners from each side.

In September 2022, Riyadh helped free several foreign fighters held in Ukraine, including two Americans and five Britons.

ht/sar/ysm/it