RIYADH: Ukraine’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia Anatolii Petrenko thanked the Kingdom for a $400m humanitarian aid package announced on Friday.

In an interview with Al Arabiya on Monday, he said the Saudi aid will focus on changing the lives of civilians in Ukraine.

Speaking to Arab News last week, the ambassador said that Saudi Arabia’s vote last Wednesday in favor of the United Nations General Assembly resolution not to recognize the four regions annexed by Russia showed clear support for “Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

“This position is the strong testimony of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to the principles and essential provisions of international law, and wisdom of your political leadership and true friendship of Saudi people and their passion for Ukraine,” Petrenko said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously thanked Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in an interview with Arab News for his mediation efforts which resulted in the release of nearly 300 prisoners in September.

Russia and Ukraine carried out a prisoner swap in September involving almost 300 people, including 10 foreigners and the commanders who led a prolonged Ukrainian defense of Mariupol earlier this year.

On Friday, Zelensky said that he and Prince Mohammed had agreed to continue communicating in order to release more prisoners of war.

Petrenko told Al Arabiya: “We are concentrating our efforts on recovering all prisoners of war,” and noted that he considers the mediation efforts of the Saudi leadership to be “very successful.”