MAKING FRIENDS

Zelensky Arrives for ‘First Ever’ Visit in Saudi Arabia Before Attending G7 Summit

The Ukrainian president said he wanted to “enhance” ties with the country.

Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Saudi Arabia on Friday before traveling to a G7 summit in Japan over the weekend. The Ukrainian leader is seeking to drum up international support for his country as Kyiv prepares to launch a long-awaited counteroffensive against Russian forces. “Beginning my first-ever visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to enhance bilateral relations and Ukraine’s ties with the Arab world,” Zelensky tweeted Friday. He added that a “peace formula” and “energy cooperation” were on his agenda. The Ukrainian president will travel on to Hiroshima this weekend for the G7 meeting, which comes after a joint statement from the groups’ leaders said they would support Kyiv for “as long as it takes.”