OBUERGEN, Switzerland (AP) — Dozens of world leaders gathered in a Swiss resort on Saturday to discuss how to bring peace to war-torn Ukraine, but Russia’s absence dampened hopes for a real breakthrough.
Three years into the war, the combatants Stay as far away as possible The Ukrainian government continues to demand that Russia withdraw from all Ukrainian territory it has so far occupied, and Russia continues its brutal offensive that has already taken over vast areas in the east and south.
Despite Russia’s absence from the summit At the Bürgenstock Resort Overlooking Lake Lucerne, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky predicted at the start of the meeting that “history will be made.”
“We have succeeded in reintroducing to the world the idea that through joint efforts it is possible to stop wars and establish a just peace,” he said at a news conference held together with Swiss President Viola Amherd.
Speaking at the meeting afterwards, President Zelensky said the summit could lay the groundwork for an eventual end to the conflict.
“The first peace summit must determine how to achieve a just peace so that the second summit can agree on a real end to the war,” he said.
of Swiss Host He said more than 50 heads of state and government would attend. Gathering at the Bürgenstock Resort Overlooking Lake Lucerne, the event will be attended by around 100 delegations, including from European institutions and the United Nations.
Who was and wasn’t there was an interesting aspect of the meeting, which critics say is meaningless without the presence of Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Although Russia did not attend, President Vladimir Putin took the unusual step on Friday of setting out terms for ending the war, but his proposal included no new demands and Kiev slammed it as “manipulative” and “unreasonable.”
The conference was attended by presidents and prime ministers from countries as far away as Britain, Ecuador and Kenya. US Vice President Kamala HarrisSeveral foreign ministers attended, including from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the EU, while some major developing countries, such as India, South Africa and Brazil, only observed the event and sent low-level officials.
China, Support RussiaChina joined a number of other countries in abstaining from the meeting. Beijing said any peace process needed the participation of Russia and Ukraine. A unique view of peace.
Last month, China and Brazil agreed to a six-point “common understanding” on a political solution to the Ukraine crisis, calling on other countries to recognize it and play their role in facilitating peace talks. The six points include an agreement to “support an international peace conference to be held at an appropriate time that is approved by both Russia and Ukraine, with equal participation by all parties, and fair discussion of all peace proposals.”
Russian forces control vast swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine Acquired territory When talks of a Swiss-hosted peace summit began last summer, Ukrainian forces had only recently recaptured large swathes of territory, mainly near the southern city of Kherson and the northern city of Kharkiv.
As they strategized diplomatically against the backdrop of a war zone, summit organizers laid out three topics on their agenda: nuclear safety, including at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia nuclear plant; humanitarian aid and prisoner exchanges; and global food security, which has been at times disrupted by disruptions to shipping through the Black Sea.
While this to-do list includes some of the least contentious issues, it falls far short of the proposals and hopes laid out by President Zelensky in his 10-point peace plan for late 2022. The plan calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied Ukrainian territory, a cessation of hostilities, and the restoration of Ukraine’s natural border with Russia, including a Russian withdrawal from the occupied Crimean Peninsula.
Putin, meanwhile, wants any peace deal to be built on a draft agreement negotiated early in the war, which includes provisions for Ukraine’s neutral status and limits on military power and postpones talks on Russian-occupied territories. Ukraine’s long-standing push for NATO membership has irritated Moscow.
Putin told Russian diplomats and officials on Friday he would “immediately” order a ceasefire and begin negotiations if Ukraine abandons its NATO membership application and begins withdrawing its troops in 2022 from four territories illegally annexed by Moscow.
Putin’s demands are unacceptable to Ukraine, but analysts say Kiev is currently in no position to negotiate from a strong position.
“The situation on the battlefield has changed dramatically,” said Alexander Gabuev, president of the Carnegie Russia and Eurasia Center, noting that while Russia “cannot immediately achieve its maximum objectives through military means,” it is gaining momentum on the battlefield.
“So many countries at the summit will be questioning whether Zelenskyy’s peace formula is still valid,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
Many countries around the world The war in Gaza and 2024 national electionsUkraine’s supporters hope to once again draw global attention to Russia’s violations of international law and the restoration of Ukrainian territory.
“Unless there is a big surprise at Bürgenstock, this event is unlikely to have any major consequences,” the International Crisis Group, a consulting firm that works to end the conflict, wrote this week.
“Nevertheless, the summit in Switzerland is an opportunity for Ukraine and its allies to underscore their recognition that Russia’s full-scale aggression is a clear violation of international law, as recognized by the UN General Assembly in 2022 and reiterated in its February 2023 resolution on a just peace in Ukraine,” the statement said.
Experts said they would closely monitor the wording of the outcome document and the way forward. Aware of Russia’s reluctance to take part in the talks, Swiss officials, like their Ukrainian counterparts, have repeatedly said they hope Russia can one day join the process.
As world leaders discussed a path to peace in Switzerland, the war continued in Ukraine, where at least three civilians were killed and 15 wounded in overnight shelling Friday and Saturday, regional officials said.
Meanwhile, Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Russia’s southern Belgorod region, claimed responsibility for a shelling of a five-story apartment building in the city of Shevekino on Friday, killing five people, in a social media post. There was no immediate comment from Kiev.
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This story has been corrected to reflect that President Zelenskyy’s comments beginning with “At the First Peace Summit…” were made while speaking at the conference, not at a press conference.
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Ken Moritsugu in Beijing and Joanna Kozlowska in London contributed to this report.
