Saudi Arabia and Türkiye appear as the mediators of the war
Although the West is thought to be behind the prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine, CNBC reports that Saudi Arabia and Türkiye are actually spearheading the swap. Saudi Arabia is reportedly trying to organize a peace summit for Ukraine, while Türkiye wants to revive the suspended Black Sea Grain Deal.
According to CNBC, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, not the West, are behind the prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine last September.
After nearly 300 prisoners of war, both Ukrainian and Russian, faced death, the warring countries announced that they had reached an agreement to free captured soldiers and political prisoners from captivity.
Western countries were allegedly mobilized to mediate. Behind the scenes, however, it turned out that two countries were supervising: Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
"I would like to thank the Turkish government for helping facilitate the exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia, building on their leadership on the grain deal," U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan wrote on Twitter at the time.
"We thank the Crown Prince and Government of Saudi Arabia for facilitating [the prisoner exchange]," Sullivan wrote in a separate post.
Saudi Arabia, thanks to the crown prince's close ties with Putin, brokered the return of 10 foreign soldiers, including two from the United States, who were detained on the front lines of the Ukraine war.
UKRAINE PEACE SUMMIT FROM SAUDI ARABIA
In July, Saudi and Turkish leaders are working on a deal to reunite children forcibly deported by Russia with their families.
Saudi Arabia is now preparing to organize a peace summit for Ukraine in the capital Jeddah, with Ukraine, the US and European countries in the lead.
TÜRKİYE SPEARHEADS BLACK SEA INITIATIVE
Türkiye is continuing its efforts to restart the Black Sea Grain Agreement, which was brokered by the UN and Ankara but suspended by Russia last month.
Source: CNBC
