OBBÜRGEN, Switzerland — Eighty countries called on Sunday for the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine could be the basis of any peace deal to end Russia’s two-year war, although some key developing nations at a Swiss conference did not join in, and the path forward for diplomacy remains unclear.
The joint statement crowned a two day conference at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland that was marked by the absence of Russia, who was not invited. Many attendees expressed hope that Russia could join a roadmap to peace at some point in the future.
He total 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 grain and fertilizer, driven millions from their homes and driven a wedge between The West, which has sanctioned Moscow for the war, and Russia, China and some other countries.
About 100 delegations, mostly Western countries but also some key developing nations, were present at the conference that was billed as a first step toward peace at a time when countries in conflict appear further apart than ever.
The event was attended by 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 on behalf of 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 and food safety. and the exchange of prisoners. Brazil, an “observer,” did not sign, but Türkiye did.
The final document said that the UN Charter and “respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty… can and will serve as a basis for achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.” That 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 news 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 approach Russian authorities. , but cautiously declined to specify what the message would be.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the “first steps towards peace” at the meeting and said the joint statement remains “open to accession by all who respect the UN Charter.”
He also said Ukraine was in talks with some countries, which he did not name, that had offered to host a “second peace summit,” but no timetable had been set. zelensky earlier this month accused China, backed by Russia, of trying to undermine the Swiss conference, a claim denied by Beijing.
The Swiss and Ukraine’s allies now face the task of trying to maintain momentum toward peace that could soon be drowned out by bombs and battlefield events, which in recent months have included some Russian territorial gains in the north and east.
Zelenskyy said national security advisers would meet in the future and that “there will be a specific plan” afterwards.
As evidence of both war fatigue and other concerns that have emerged in recent months, only about half of UN member countries participated. It is a far cry from March 2022, when condemnation of the Russian invasion led to the passage of a non-binding resolution in the UN General Assembly by 141 countries calling for Russian troops to leave Ukraine.
It was not entirely clear why some developing countries present did not line up behind the final declaration, but they may be hesitant to irritate Russia or have cultivated a middle ground between Moscow, its ally China and Western powers backing Kiev.
At the Swiss event, the challenge was to talk tough with Russia, but open the door for it to join a peace initiative.
“Many countries… wanted the participation of representatives of the Russian Federation,” Zelenskyy said. “At the same time, most countries don’t want to shake hands with (Russian leaders)… so there are different opinions in the world.”
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Union’s Executive Commission, said the conference was appropriately 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. Insists on capitulation. “He insists on giving up Ukrainian territory, even territory that is not occupied by him today,” he said. “He insists on disarming Ukraine, leaving it vulnerable to future aggression. “No country would ever accept these outrageous terms.”
Analysts suspected that two day conference would have little concrete impact on ending the war because Russia was not invited. China, which did not attend, and Brazil have 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 hosted talks with Ukrainian and Russian delegations on the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families, which have so far resulted in the reunification of 34 children.
The Ukrainian government believes that 19,546 children have been deported or forcibly displaced, and Russian Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova has previously confirmed that at least 2,000 were removed from Ukrainian orphanages.
Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic said at 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 must do more to bring the children of Ukraine back to Ukraine,” he added.
Many countries saw the talks as a matter of principle, in part to uphold international law.
Kenyan President William Ruto called the Russian invasion of Ukraine “a horrible and horrifying spectacle of carnage and devastation” and said his government has been unequivocal in condemning the aggression.
In kyiv, at a regular demonstration by relatives 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 did not sign the communiqué,” said Yana Shyrokyh, 56, whose son, a soldier, has been in captivity since 2022. “I would really like to would like to find powerful levers of influence in Russia.
___
Associated Press writers Derek Gatopoulos, Illia Novikov and Dmytro Zhyhinas in kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.
___
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
