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Ninety countries are beginning to descend upon Switzerland for a summit on ending the war in Ukraine.
Despite an effort to obtain a peaceful resolution, Russia has not been invited to attend the conference. Swiss officials say this is because Russia indicated its intention not to participate but noted that they eventually intend to have Russia and Ukraine present at a follow-up summit.
During a press conference, Swiss President Viola Amherd said the goal of the summit is to find a resolution to the war that began almost 28 months ago with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Numerous countries and organizations, including the United Nations, will participate in the event, with about half of the attendees being heads of state or government. High-profile attendees include Vice President Kamala Harris, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. President Amherd said the summit was “not about propaganda. This is about the basis of humanitarian aid provided by Switzerland, based on fostering peace and to provide a platform to initiate a dialogue.”
According to President Amherd, 70 countries announced they would not participate in the summit, with various reasons given, from conflicting schedules to their abstention over Russia not receiving an invite. In support of Russia, China and Brazil said they would only attend with Russia’s attedance. Countries including Turkey, South Africa, and India have yet to confirm if they are attending.
What Russia is saying:
Russia has publicly said they have no intentions of attending the summit, claiming that it would impose an “ultimatum” on Russia over the war in Ukraine. They also say that it will promote Zelensky’s 10-point “peace formula,” which would require Russia to withdraw from all of Ukraine’s territory, demand Russia pay for damages, and hold Russian officials accountable for alleged war crimes.
What Ukraine is saying:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of trying to undermine the peace summit. Zelenskyy specifically claimed that Russia is attempting to dissuade countries, including China, from attending. He said, “It is unfortunate that such a big, independent, powerful country as China is an instrument in the hands of Putin.”
