Switzerland announced that an international Peace Summit on Ukraine is planned on 15-16 June at the five-star Bürgenstock hotel above Lake Lucerne.
Zelenskyy has previously outlined a 10-point peace plan calling for restoration of Ukraine’s territory, Russian troop withdrawal, protection of food/energy, nuclear safety, and prisoner releases. Russian officials have dismissed this as meaningless.
“The conference aims to establish a forum for a high-level dialogue on ways to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine in accordance with international law and the UN Charter. It aims to create a common understanding of a framework favorable to this objective and a concrete roadmap for Russia’s participation in the peace process,” the Swiss government said.
The Russian embassy in Bern confirmed that Russia has not been invited and will not attend.
Switzerland organized the summit at the request of the Ukrainian President, who did not want Russia involved in this initial meeting. Negotiations were held with G7 members, the EU, and representatives of the Global South, including China, India, and others.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine expects 80-100 countries to participate – a number that could potentially compel Russia to pursue a “fair peace”. The Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) reported, citing several reliable sources, that the US President Joe Biden would travel to Switzerland for the peace conference.
However, it remains unclear if China will join. China’s ambassador to Switzerland said Beijing is “examining the possibility” of participating.
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