Mohammed bin Salman was personally involved in a prisoner release, the Saudi foreign minister says.
Image source, ReutersCrown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was “crucial” in securing the release of 10 foreign prisoners captured in Ukraine, the Saudi foreign minister has said.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan al Saud said the deal had enabled a major prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine.
He said it was “very cynical” to think the Crown Prince was trying to repair the kingdom’s international relations.
The crown prince has been linked by Western intelligence to the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
But Prince Faisal denied the kingdom’s de-facto ruler got involved in talks to try to rehabilitate his reputation, instead saying it was for “humanitarian” reasons.
British nationals Aiden Aslin, John Harding, Dylan Healy, Andrew Hill and Shaun Pinner, who were among the 10 foreigners released by Russia – along with US, Moroccan, Croatian and Swedish nationals – arrived back in the UK on Thursday.
Prince Faisal said this was the trigger for one of the most significant prisoner exchanges of the war so far, which saw 215 Ukrainian fighters swapped for 55 Russian soldiers and pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk.
He spoke to the BBC’s chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet about the negotiation and the kingdom’s motivation for getting involved.
The UK government has not confirmed the process that led to the men’s release.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February millions of people have been displaced and thousands killed, while the conflict has also caused energy prices to rise and food shortages.
Image source, Reuters
Prince Faisal described the release of detainees as “an important achievement” and said he was pleased the 10 men were now returning to their families.
While Riyadh negotiated the release of the international prisoners it is understood Turkey mediated the exchange of the Ukrainian and Russian captives.
Prince Faisal said it was necessary to achieve the breakthrough on the foreign nationals for the prisoner swap to take place, with it only happening once they had arrived in Saudi territory and been verified.
Ukraine had been keen to include the foreign prisoners in any deal, Prince Faisal said.
He said the conflict had escalated to now affect “all of us”, and said Riyadh believed very strongly that the conflict would only be resolved through dialogue.
While negotiations to end the war had been unsuccessful in the past Saudi Arabia would continue to look for opportunities to find common ground, Prince Faisal said.
“I can’t predict when that will happen, but we certainly hope it will be sooner rather than later.”
Saudi Arabia was uniquely placed to play this difficult mediating role; its de-facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, would have welcomed an opportunity to burnish his credentials.
The kingdom has steered a middle course in Ukraine’s war. It backed the UN resolution to condemn Russia’s invasion.
But it’s made it harder for the west to isolate Moscow by buying Russia’s fuel oil, and joining forces, through oil cartel OPEC, to push oil prices up.
The prince and the president have been allies, when both needed them most.
The Crown Prince now appears to have brokered a significant breakthrough.
The release of foreigners fighting for Ukraine has provoked criticism in Russia. President Vladimir Putin’s calculations are, as always, opaque. Much is still unknown about what must have been extremely tough talks.
But in the midst of growing fear that this could be a forever war, with major global costs, many will hope this bargaining will provide something to build on.
Mr Aslin, Mr Pinner, Mr Harding, and Mr Hill, 35, from Plymouth, were captured while fighting with Ukrainian forces, while Mr Healy had been volunteering as an aid worker in Ukraine.
In July, a court in the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic had sentenced Mr Aslin, 28, and Mr Pinner, 48, to death, while Mr Harding, in his 50s, was one of several others awaiting trial.
A sixth British man, Paul Urey, 45, who was detained alongside Mr Healy, died in detention.
The men were reunited with their families on Thursday, sparking relief and emotional scenes.
In an interview in the Sun, Mr Harding said the five were welcomed on to a jet by oligarch and ex-Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich – who he was told had played a part in securing their release.
He told the paper the prisoners were treated appallingly by their captors and said he received beatings from the guards, while he told the Daily Mail they had been shocked with cattle prods.