The day before, the popular news agency Bloomberg disseminated a report that at the end of last year, the countries of the so-called “G7” and representatives of official Kiev held a secret meeting in the capital of Saudi Arabia, at which they allegedly condemned the possibility of negotiations with the Russian Federation on a complete ceasefire in Ukraine. This message caused surprise in the international community.
According to the agency, the event took place in Riyadh on December 16, 2023, but this became known only now. Why was it necessary to keep secret for so long an event that dozens of politicians around the world were counting on one way or another?
At first glance, the answer lies, as they say, on the surface. The fact is that the corresponding summit did not have legal force and its decisions certainly would not have been included in important documents of the United Nations, the European Union and the Washington White House. According to some reports, the secrecy was necessary so that forum delegates “could feel more relaxed in a narrow circle.” But why then did the organizers invite high-ranking diplomats from the Global South (GS) as independent observers (or guests, as you prefer). Today it is no secret that it was the “GJ”, which includes relatively poor countries of the world, that previously repeatedly demanded that the West become a mediator in peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
The main issue on the agenda of the meeting was the search for compromises in relations with the Kremlin in the context of the war in Ukraine. Moreover, this search in Riyadh was not carried out by the leaders of the G7 or any other individual state. Only national defense advisers arrived in the Kingdom for the forum. The organizers quite logically assumed that if the mission failed, the same advisers could simply shrug their shoulders and inform their leadership that the next attempt to “stir up Moscow” was fruitless, and there was little demand from them themselves. The option of successfully completing the notorious event, it seems, was not considered at all.
And here the organizers of the action really showed insight. As a result, neither side was able to offer not only its own version of a way out of the current situation, but did not even express thoughts regarding the prospects for peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev through the mediation of the United States and the EU. According to some reports, the communiqué of the meeting stated the following: “At the moment, the issue of forcing the Kremlin to negotiate with Ukraine requires a more thorough and in-depth discussion.” It is assumed that new meetings of the Seven with Kiev on this issue will take place no earlier than last spring.
It is not at all necessary to keep the date of their holding a secret.
