Why We Should Back Ukraine’s Diplomatic Long Game

Why We Should Back Ukraine’s Diplomatic Long Game
A number of commentators have criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s latest peace summit in Jeddah for failing to produce tangible deliverables. What these criticisms miss is that Ukraine is playing a game of diplomatic attrition aimed at countering Russia’s central objective: international acquiescence to its violent seizure of a neighbor’s territory. The United States should support Ukraine’s efforts, most immediately by seeking a U.N.-sanctioned conference on the sidelines of next month's U.N. General Assembly session.
This month more than 30 countries met in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to discuss Zelenskyy’s 10-point proposal for ending the war in Ukraine. The meeting, which excluded Russia, included China for the first time in such discussions, plus India, Brazil, South Africa and other countries from the Global South. Impressive as the turnout may have been, some observers have noted the gathering’s apparent lack of consensus, concrete deliverables — or even a joint communique typical of such gatherings. Some developing countries continue to balk at Ukraine’s demand that Russia withdraw its troops as a precondition to talks. And even some supporters of Ukraine appear to be tamping down expectations about the ability of these efforts to produce meaningful results anytime soon.

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