Peace summit in Switzerland planned for mid-June – Bloomberg

Khrystyna Bondarieva , OLEKSANDR SHUMILIN — Monday, 8 April 2024, 17:22

Stock photo: Getty Images

The high-level Peace Summit that Switzerland has agreed to host at Ukraine’s request may take place in mid-June.

Source: Bloomberg, citing its source, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Bloomberg's sources said the summit may take place on 16-17 June, although it is unclear how many leaders will attend. It is expected that 80 to 100 countries, mostly from what is known as the Global South, will be invited to the event.

The key question is whether China will participate, the sources added. Ukraine's allies regard China's presence as crucial for the meeting's success, citing Beijing's influence over Moscow.

A spokesman for the Swiss Foreign Ministry stated that the date and location of the conference had not yet been determined.

"In addition to the perspectives of Ukraine, Russia and Europe, it is also important to listen to the Global South, which will play a key role in the eventual inclusion of Russia in the process," the foreign ministry spokesman told Bloomberg on Monday.

"That is why we are in close contact with China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Saudi Arabia," the spokesman added.

To date, Beijing has attended only one meeting between national security advisers, intended to lay the groundwork for the summit.

Several countries have insisted that Russia should attend the meeting in Switzerland, while Kyiv seeks broad agreement on the fundamental principles that will underpin any future settlement before engaging with Moscow.

Background:

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine would agree with Switzerland on the date of the first inaugural Peace Summit in the coming days.
The Ukrainian President's Office stated that Russia, which violates all international rules and humanitarian norms, will not attend the first global peace summit.
Switzerland has agreed to host the summit at Ukraine's request, as both countries announced on Monday, 15 January, during Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Bern.

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