Saudi Arabia announced $400 million in humanitarian aid for Kyiv on Saturday, and its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke by phone with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, the official SPA news agency reported.
The prince emphasized “the kingdom’s position to support anything that contributes to de-escalation and the kingdom’s willingness to continue mediation efforts,” SPA said.
In September, Riyadh had played an unexpected mediating role, leading to a prisoner exchange between Moscow and Kyiv.
In a message posted on Twitter, Volodymyr Zelensky thanks Mohammad bin Salman for the “support” given to Ukraine’s territorial integrity within the framework of the UN resolution, and highlights the agreement on exchanges of Ukrainian prisoners of war and Saudi financiers . aid.
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United States over oil production
The war in Ukraine, however, has fueled tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United States, with the kingdom refusing to increase oil production as Washington would have liked to alleviate the energy crisis stemming from the conflict.
Riyadh has even come under increasing criticism from the United States following OPEC’s decision, with Saudi Arabia in the first place but also Russia and other allies, to drastically reduce production, which could push oil prices even higher. Energy.
Americans announce $725 million in additional military aid
For its part, the United States will provide an additional $725 million in military aid to Ukraine for its defense against the Russian invasion, the Pentagon and the State Department announced on Friday.
“This payment will bring the total US military assistance provided to Ukraine to an unprecedented amount of more than 18.3 billion dollars” since the entry into office of Joe Biden, the head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken, specified in a statement. .
Source: BFM TV
