Saudi Arabia announces $400mn humanitarian aid to Ukraine

Author: Reuters
In this photo released by Saudi Royal Palace, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, speaks during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021. (Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace via AP)

Saudi Arabia will provide $400 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, Saudi state news agency SPA said, adding that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made a phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday.

The crown prince expressed the kingdom’s readiness to continue efforts of mediation and support everything that contributes to de-escalation, SPA added.

Last month, with Prince Mohammed’s mediation, Russia released 10 foreigners it had captured in Ukraine, including five Britons and two Americans, signalling the value of the crown prince’s alliance with Russia to Western partners seeking to isolate Moscow over the war there, analysts claimed.

Crown Prince may also find that the initiative — intentionally or otherwise — helps take him a step nearer international rehabilitation after the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi damaged his reputation, they added.

The move, apparently made possible by Prince Mohammed’s carefully nurtured ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, coincided with a prisoner exchange involving 215 Ukrainians and 55 Russians and pro-Moscow Ukrainians that Turkey helped broker.

Share
Leave a Comment

Recent Posts

  • Op-Ed

Legislative Developments in Compliance with UNCRC

In August 2023, Pakistan submitted its consolidated sixth and seventh periodic reports to the UNCRC…

7 hours ago
  • Op-Ed

Trump Returns: What It Means for Health in Pakistan

United States presidential election was held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, in which Donald Trump…

7 hours ago
  • Op-Ed

A Self-Sustaining Model

Since being entrusted to the Punjab Model Bazaar Management Company (PMBMC) in 2016, Model Bazaars…

7 hours ago
  • Op-Ed

Lahore’s Smog Crisis

Lahore's air quality has reached critical levels, with recent AQI (Air Quality Index) readings soaring…

7 hours ago
  • Editorial

Fatal Frequencies

Fog, smog or a clear sunny day, traffic accidents have sadly become a daily occurrence…

7 hours ago
  • Editorial

Climate Crisis

PM Shehbaz Sharif has stressed the urgent need for developed nations to take responsibility for…

7 hours ago