U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan's attendance is expected, a person familiar with the organization of the event told the WSJ. Instead, the large-scale event is set to be held in the port city of Jeddah "to consolidate international support for Ukraine’s peace demands," the WSJ said. According to the WSJ, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine have chosen 30 invitees, which include Egypt, Mexico, Indonesia, Chile, and Zambia. The summit comes as Russia and the West battle over the support of developing countries, which have mostly stayed neutral throughout Russia's 16-month-old full-scale war against Ukraine. Saudi Arabia has played an important role in negotiating prisoner exchanges with Russia, allowing Ukraine to achieve a major exchange involving nearly 300 people – including commanders who were trapped in the besieged Azovstal plant in Mariupol – in September 2022.

Source: Wall Street Journal July 29, 2023 19:59 UTC