London, May 20 (IANS) Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky who travelled to Jeddah to attend the 32nd Summit of the Arab League, has claimed that some of the regional bloc’s leaders have turned a “blind eye” to Russia’s ongoing war against Kiev.
While addressing the Summit on Friday, the President said that “there are people who turn a blind eye to captivity and illegal annexation, but no matter how strong Russian influence may be, it is important to remain independent”, reports Ukrayinska Pravda.
He said that even if there were people at the Summit who have different points of view concerning the war in Ukraine, with some calling it a “conflict”, “they can still unite for the sake of saving people from Russian captivity”.
Of the Arab League nations, only Syria has openly supported Russia’s invasion, while others have sought to maintain good relations with Moscow.
“I am sure that all your nations will understand this our main emotion and main call I want to leave here… A call to help protect our people, including the Ukrainian Muslim community.
“With me here, honourable Mustafa Dzhemilev, the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, one of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine. Whose home is Crimea, the centre of Muslim culture in Ukraine,” he was quoted as saying
Zelensky stressed that Crimea was the first Ukrainian territory to be occupied by Russia, and it is mostly in the occupied peninsula that Muslims suffer from repression.
He also reminded the gathering about the role of Saudi Arabia in the liberation of the people captured by the Russians in the territory of Ukraine, adding that he believes this experience should be expanded.
Upon his arrival in Jeddah earlier on Friday, Zelensky was received by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
At the Summit, the Crown Prince renewed his offer for Riyadh to mediate between Moscow and Kiev to end the fighting.
The Ukrainian leader will travel from Saudi Arabia to the G7 summit on Sunday, Japan confirmed on Saturday morning, the BBC reported.
Officials said he will take part in the summit’s leaders’ session and take part in a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The trip to Japan will be the furthest Zelensky has travelled from Kiev since the war began in February 2022.
In the past few days Zelensky has visited Italy, Germany, France and the UK, where he nailed down promises of military support.
–IANS
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