Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed optimism on Saturday, predicting that “history is being made” at a Swiss-hosted conference aimed at initiating peace efforts in Ukraine, despite skepticism from experts and critics who doubt any significant progress since Russia is not participating. The conference saw attendance from the presidents of Ivory Coast, Kenya, Ecuador, and Somalia, along with numerous Western heads of state, senior government leaders, and high-level envoys, all hoping for eventual Russian involvement.
In a brief statement alongside Swiss President Viola Amherd at the summit’s commencement, Zelenskyy declared the gathering a success, stating that they have succeeded in bringing back to the world the idea that the war can be stopped jointly and establish a just peace. “I believe that we will witness history being made here at the summit,” he said, AP reported.
Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is due to attend the Peace Summit on Sunday, criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand that Ukraine effectively surrender before any peace talks and termed it as “propaganda”.
“It doesn’t seem particularly effective to me as a negotiation proposal to tell Ukraine that it must withdraw from Ukraine,” she said at the end of a G7 summit in Italy, as quoted by AFP, while an international conference on ending the Russia-Ukraine commenced in Switzerland.
“Let’s say it seems more like a propaganda initiative… to create a narrative that wants to provide counter-information on where the responsibilities for the conflict lie,” AFP quoted her as saying.
Notably, Putin was not invited to the Switzerland meeting and had on Friday rebuked the conference, demanding that Kyiv effectively surrender before any actual peace negotiations.
Swiss officials announced that over 50 heads of state and government, along with around 100 delegations including European bodies and the United Nations, were anticipated to attend the conference at the Bürgenstock resort overlooking Lake Lucerne.
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China’s Absence At Ukraine Peace Summit
This Swiss summit coincides with G7 leaders meeting in Italy, where they finalised a $50 billion loan agreement for Ukraine. This loan will be secured using the windfall profits from the interest on Russian central bank assets that were frozen by the EU and other Western nations following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
According to The Guardian, the two-day peace conference will address Kyiv’s proposed 10-point plan to end the war, as well as topics such as the nuclear threat, food security, and humanitarian needs in Ukraine.
However, China’s absence has dimmed hopes of isolating Moscow, and recent military setbacks have disadvantaged Kyiv. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Friday that Russia would end the war only if Kyiv agreed to abandon its NATO ambitions and hand over the entirety of four provinces claimed by Moscow. These demands were rejected by Kyiv, equating them to surrender, as per Reuters.
Switzerland is hosting the summit at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, aiming to pave the way for a future peace process that includes Russia. Zelenskyy has accused Beijing of helping Moscow undermine the gathering, an accusation denied by China’s foreign ministry.
As per the report, China initially indicated it would participate in the summit but ultimately declined, citing Russia’s absence as the reason.