An anonymous source among Russian diplomats told the journalists that while the meeting in Jeddah ended without specific decisions and a joint statement, it showed that Ukraine is trying to "bring the countries of the Global South into the dialogue while diplomatically isolating Russia."
“Kyiv’s objective is to make these countries if not allies, at least partners,” the article quotes the source.
“Then, if a general consensus is reached, Ukraine will try to deepen it and will raise more sensitive issues for the formation of such consensus. This is exactly what is happening now.”
A source close to the Kremlin noted that the Russian leadership would have to look for "some responses to Ukraine's new tactics," and added that as hard as the Russian authorities try to talk about "global support," nobody recognizes the annexation occupied Ukrainian territories and Crimea.
"This is, of course, what Kyiv will play on now to isolate Moscow as much as possible," the insider explains.
Another source, who is a former diplomat, reluctantly admitted that Moscow's absence at these negotiations is " unpleasant" and emphasized that without Russia, all other players are "whispering without us."
Another source in the Russian Foreign Ministry argued that Moscow should hold its own summit in response to Kyiv's initiative, but, in his opinion, the problem is that the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and the Russian leadership are "not prepared to make even the smallest concessions."