Ukraine news: Zelenskyy in Saudi Arabia to push for peace [Video]

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates –

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and met the kingdom’s powerful crown prince to push for a peace plan and the return of prisoners of war from Russia.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has sought to position himself as a potential mediator to end the war between Ukraine and Russia — even as Riyadh remains closely aligned with Russia on energy policies through the OPEC+ group of countries. The day before, the prince hosted Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of Russia’s Duma, the lower house of its parliament, and a host of other Russian officials.

Zelenskyy’s trip came as Kyiv’s forces were slowly being pushed back in eastern Ukraine. Russia has gained the initiative due to its big advantage in troop numbers and weapon supplies, military analysts say, as Kyiv waits for news of new provisions from its Western partners.

The Ukrainian military said Tuesday it …