80 countries at Swiss conference agree Ukraine’s territorial integrity must be basis of any peace

Eighty countries called on Sunday for the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine be the basis for any peace agreement that ends Russia’s two-year war, although some major developing nations attending a Swiss conference did not join in – and the path forward for diplomacy remains uncertain.

The joint statement crowned a two-day conference at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland, marked by the absence of Russia, which was not invited. Many participants expressed hope that Russia could join a roadmap for peace at some point in the future.

The all-out war since President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has killed or injured hundreds of thousands of people, disrupted markets for goods such as cereals and fertilizers, driven millions of people from their homes, and driven a wedge between The West – which sanctioned Moscow during the war – and Russia, China and some other countries.

Around 100 delegations, mostly Western countries, but also some important developing nations, were present at the conference which was billed as a first step towards peace, at a time when countries at war are apparently so far from each other. like always.

The event included presidents and prime ministers of France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Poland, Argentina, Ecuador, Kenya and Somalia. The Holy See was also represented and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke for the United States.

India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates – which were represented by foreign ministers or lower-level envoys – were among the countries that did not sign the final document, which focused on nuclear security issues. , food security and the exchange of prisoners. Brazil, an “observer”, did not sign, but Turkey did.

The final document states that the UN Charter and “respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty… can and will serve as the basis for achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.” This has been a failure for Putin, who wants Ukraine to cede even more territory and move away from its long-held hopes of joining the NATO military alliance.

Viola Amherd, the Swiss president who organized the event, said at a final press conference that the “vast majority” of participants agreed with the final document, which “shows what diplomacy can achieve.” Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said Switzerland would contact Russian authorities, but cautiously declined to specify what the message would be.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the “first steps towards peace” at the meeting and said the joint statement remains “open for accession by all who respect the UN Charter”.

He also said Ukraine was in talks with some countries, whose names he did not reveal, who had offered to host a “second peace summit” – but no timetable had been set. Zelenskyy earlier this month accused Russia-backed China of trying to undermine the Swiss conference, an allegation denied by Beijing.

The Swiss and Ukraine’s allies now face the task of trying to maintain momentum toward peace, which could soon be dampened by bombs and battlefield developments, which in recent months have included some Russian territorial gains in the north and east. .

Zelenskyy said national security advisers will meet in the future and that “there will be a specific plan” afterwards.

Bearing witness to both war fatigue and other concerns that have arisen in recent months, only about half of UN member countries participated. It is a far cry from March 2022, when condemnation of Russia’s invasion led to the passage of a non-binding resolution at the UN General Assembly by 141 countries calling for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

It was not entirely clear why some developing countries did not align behind the final declaration, but they may have been hesitant to anger Russia or have cultivated a compromise between Moscow, its ally China, and the Western powers that back Kiev.

At the Swiss event, the challenge was to be tough on Russia, but open the door for it to join a peace initiative.

“Many countries… wanted the involvement of representatives of the Russian Federation,” Zelenskyy said. “At the same time, most countries don’t want to shake hands with them (Russian leaders)… so there are various opinions in the world.”

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the Executive Commission of the European Union, said that the conference was rightly titled “Road to Peace” because peace will not be achieved in a single step.

“It was not a peace negotiation because Putin is not serious about ending the war. He is insisting on capitulation. He is insisting on ceding Ukrainian territory – even territory that is not occupied by him today,” she said. “He insists on disarming Ukraine, leaving it vulnerable to future aggression. No country would ever accept these outrageous terms.”

Analysts suspected the two-day conference would have little concrete impact on ending the war because Russia was not invited. China, which did not attend, and Brazil jointly sought to chart alternative routes to peace.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Saturday that his wealthy Gulf country has organized talks with Ukrainian and Russian delegations on the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families, which have so far resulted in the reunion of 34 children.

The Ukrainian government believes 19,546 children were deported or forcibly displaced, and Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova previously confirmed that at least 2,000 were removed from Ukrainian orphanages.

Montenegro’s Prime Minister Milojko Spajic told Sunday’s meeting: “As a father of three children, I am deeply concerned about thousands of Ukrainian children forcibly transferred to Russia or Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.”

“All of us at this table need to do more to get Ukraine’s children back to Ukraine,” he added.

Many countries viewed the talks as a matter of principle, in part to uphold international law.

Kenyan President William Ruto has called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a “horrifying and horrifying spectacle of carnage and devastation” and said his government has been unequivocal in its condemnation of the aggression.

In Kiev, at a regular demonstration by families of soldiers captured by Russia, the response to the Swiss meeting was muted.

“I would really like to believe that this (conference) will have an impact, but some very important countries have not signed the communique,” ​​said Yana Shyrokyh, 56, whose military son has been in captivity since 2022. “I would really like them to meet powerful levers of influence over Russia.”