BURGENSTOCK - President Volodymyr Zelensky said he hoped to find a route to a “just peace” as soon as possible, as a first international summit on pathways to end Russia’s war in Ukraine opened on Saturday. More than 50 world leaders were due to join Zelensky at the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland for a two-day peace summit -- though with Moscow rejecting the event, it only has the modest ambitions of laying the groundwork for ending the conflict, now in its third year. “I believe that we will witness history being made here at the summit,” Zelensky said as the event began, calling for a “just peace”. “Everything that will be agreed upon at the summit today will be part of the peacemaking process. “We have succeeded in bringing back to the world the idea that joint efforts can stop war and establish a just peace.” The summit is aimed at trying to agree a basic international platform for eventual peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow.
Swiss President Viola Amherd said future summits were envisioned, eventually involving Russia, and that this one would “take concrete steps” towards a “lasting peace”.
“We can prepare the ground for direct talks between the warring parties: that is what we are here for,” she said.
Ukraine has suggested Russia could attend a second summit, where it would be presented with any joint plan agreed by the other attendees.
“We have to talk to the enemy. We cannot negotiate peace between likeminded countries,” Slovenia’s President Natasa Pirc Musar said ahead of the talks.
In a combative speech on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin had slammed the conference and demanded that Kyiv effectively surrender before any actual peace negotiations.
Zelensky on Saturday said the only person who wanted the war was Putin and has rejected the Kremlin leader’s “ultimatums”.
NATO, the United States and several Western countries also dismissed Putin’s hardline conditions.
Some 100 countries and global institutions, including the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, are convening at the Swiss luxury mountainside resort for the talks.
The heads of some non-European countries, like Chile, Ghana and Kenya, are also attending.
But US President Joe Biden sent his Vice President Kamala Harris, who announced more than $1.5 billion in new aid for Ukraine, mainly for its energy sector and in humanitarian assistance.
Russia’s BRICS partners Brazil and South Africa are only sending an envoy, and India will be represented at the ministerial level.