Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan encouraged Russia to “strengthen dialogue” with Ukraine during a call with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The two ministers reportedly “discussed the latest developments related to the crisis in Ukraine,” according to the statement.

Additionally, the duo explored ways to strengthen bilateral ties, primarily “security and stability in the Middle East,” according to the ministry’s report.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, with Reuters reporting at least 9,100 deaths and one million displaced as of March 5. It marks the biggest attack on a European state since World War 2.

This has resulted in drastic measures from NATO and other world powers, including sanctions that sever logistics, market access, and dealings powerful individuals with ties to Kremlin.

While these sanctions are expected to halt Russia’s economic growth and sustenance, no direct impact has been recorded on the war front.

In contrast, Moscow continues to maintain that the invasion is a “special operation” to capture individuals it regards as dangerous nationalists and has denied targeting civilians.

However, media reports and verified government findings refute the claim. On March 4, the Ukrainian authorities reported that 47 people were killed in air strikes conducted on a residential district of the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv.

The town of Chernihiv lies 120 kilometers (75 miles) northeast of Kyiv, which the Russian forces have been trying to invade from the north.

But more recently, Russia seized Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant in a violent take over which resulted in a fire in the vicinity of the reactors.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is constantly monitoring the safety of the plant, with the head of the UN nuclear watchdog offering to travel to Chernobyl to negotiate with Ukraine and Russia on ensuring the security of Ukraine’s nuclear sites.

With agencies

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Source:english.alarabiya.net/News