UPDATE - Ukrainian President Zelenskyy visits Saudi Arabia, meets crown prince

UPDATES WITH DETAILS, REVISES HEADLINE, LEDE, ADDS CHANGES

By Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks Wednesday evening with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

A Saudi Foreign Ministry statement reported a meeting between the two sides, without providing any further details.

Zelenskyy arrived in Jeddah early Wednesday at the start of a visit to Saudi Arabia. He was welcomed upon arrival by Saudi Ambassador to Ukraine Mohammed Al-Jibreen and Ukrainian Ambassador Anatolii Petrenko, the state news agency SPA reported.

Zelenskyy had visited Saudi Arabia twice in recent months during which he held talks with bin Salman on the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war.

Saudi Arabia mediated between Russia and Ukraine on multiple occasions, focusing on resolving the crisis and prisoner exchanges.

Since February 24, 2022, Russia has been conducting a military operation in Ukraine. Russia claims that Ukraine's plans to join the US-led NATO alliance pose a threat to its national security. Kyiv views this as an infringement on its sovereignty.