🔴 Live: Ukraine says Jeddah peace talks ‘productive’, Russia calls meeting ‘futile’

Issued on: 07/08/2023 – 08:03Modified: 07/08/2023 – 08:08

3 min

7:49am: Ukraine calls Jeddah talks productive, Russia calls them doomed

A senior Ukrainian official said on Sunday that talks in Saudi Arabia to make headway towards a peaceful settlement of the war with Russia had been productive, but Moscow called the meeting a doomed attempt to swing the Global South behind Kyiv.

More than 40 countries, including China, India, the United States, and European countries, but not Russia, took part in the Jeddah talks that ended on Sunday.

Ukraine and its allies called the talks an attempt to secure broad international support for principles that Kyiv wants to be the basis for peace, including the withdrawal of all Russian troops and the return of all Ukrainian territory to its control.

Speaking about the Jeddah talks, Zelensky’s head of staff Andriy Yermak said in a statement: “We had very productive consultations on the key principles on which a just and lasting peace should be built.”

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by state media on Sunday as saying the meeting was “a reflection of the West’s attempt to continue futile, doomed efforts” to mobilise the Global South behind Zelensky’s position.

Saudi Arabia’s Media Ministry said participants had agreed on the importance of continuing consultations to pave the way for peace. European officials have said participants planned to establish working groups to address specific problems raised by the war.

7:07am: Russia destroys drone over Kaluga region, says local governor

Russia’s air defence system destroyed an aircraft-type drone over the Ferzikovskyi district in the Kaluga region, Vladislav Shapsha, governor of the region, said on the Telegram messaging app on Monday.

The Kaluga region borders the Moscow region to the north.

“There has been no impact on people or infrastructure,” Shapsha said.

It was not clear who launched the drones, and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Kyiv almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russia-controlled territory in Ukraine.

5:18am: Iran’s foreign minister in first Japan visit since 2019

Iran’s foreign minister visited Japan on Monday for the first time since 2019 to meet his opposite number, officials said, with a meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also reportedly on the cards.

The purpose of the rare visit by Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to a G7 member country was not announced, but reports said Japan would press Iran to stop supplying Russia with arms.

Amir-Abdollahian will meet with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, the Japanese foreign ministry said in a statement.

TBS, citing unnamed government sources, said Japan would raise the issue of arms exports to Russia.

Key developments from Sunday, August 6:

Ukraine’s air force said Sunday moning it shot down 30 out of the 40 cruise missiles and all the Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia launched overnight in several waves of attacks. Some 27 attack drones were also destroyed, the air force said.

Multi-lateral talks on the Ukraine conflict hosted by Saudi Arabia concluded on Sunday with the participants including the US, China and India agreeing on the importance of continuing consultations to pave the way for peace, according to a closing statement released by Jeddah.

Read yesterday’s liveblog to see how the day’s events unfolded.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)