ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday invited Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani to visit Ukraine. “I invited the Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, to visit Ukraine to discuss important areas of interstate cooperation,” said Zelensky in a statement. Zelensky said they discussed a possible Iraqi role in ending Russia’s war in Ukraine and he expressed his country’s gratitude to Iraq for its support. The two leaders were in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia attending the Arab League summit where the Ukrainian president addressed Arab leaders, appealing for their help. Sudani emphasized the importance of diplomacy and dialogue to reach a peaceful solution in Ukraine. “We have discussed bilateral relations between both countries and ways to enhance cooperation in areas that serve mutual interests,” he said in a statement after their meeting. Sudani and Zelensky spoke on the phone last month, discussing the importance of finding a lasting peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine. A few days later, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said that Iraq sought to be part of the solution to the Russia-Ukraine war. Speaking during a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Baghdad, he stated Iraq was ready to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow if asked. Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. Iraq has steered away from taking sides in the conflict or publicly condemning Moscow. In March 2022, Iraq abstained from voting against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a United Nations resolution, showing Baghdad’s willingness to maintain relations with Moscow.
