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 of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council.
The Gulf monarchies have sought to remain neutral in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
The talks between the Saudi prince and the Russian minister focused on “recent international and regional developments,” the official Saudi news agency said.
Earlier on Monday, Lavrov met with foreign ministers of the GCC, a Riyadh-based organization made up of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman, which are traditional partners of the United States.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest exporter of crude oil, has worked closely with Moscow on oil policy, but has had ties to both Moscow and Kiev since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has positioned itself as a potential mediator.
The Gulf monarchy received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on several occasions, including during his participation in the Arab League summit in May 2023 in Jeddah.
The Kingdom has promised hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including Ukrainian refugees who have fled to neighboring countries.
During the press conference, GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi emphasized the “neutrality” of the entire Council.
He told reporters that the GCC countries “stand at an equal distance” between Russians and Ukrainians.
The United Arab Emirates announced in late August that it had brokered a prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia, which led to the release of 230 prisoners.
Mediation by the Emirates in June resulted in an exchange of prisoners of war involving 90 prisoners from each side.
In September 2022, Riyadh helped free several foreign fighters held in Ukraine, including two Americans and five Britons.
