A two-day summit in Switzerland focused on finding a resolution to the Ukraine war concluded with key nations refusing to endorse a joint communique accepted by over 80 countries and international organizations.
India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates, all of which maintain significant trade relations with Russia as part of the BRICS economic group, participated in the weekend summit but declined to sign the joint statement.
The communique reaffirmed the signatories’ commitment to “refraining from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, the principles of sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of all states, including Ukraine, within their internationally recognized borders.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized at a press conference alongside leaders from the European Union, Ghana, Canada, Chile, and Switzerland that it was “important that all participants of this summit support Ukraine’s territorial integrity because there will be no lasting peace without territorial integrity.”
More than 100 countries and organizations assembled at a picturesque lakeside resort near Lucerne to rally support for the 10-point peace plan Zelensky introduced in late 2022.
The plan includes calls for a cessation of hostilities, the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian soil, and the reestablishment of Ukraine’s pre-war borders with Russia—terms that Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to ever accept.
Notable dignitaries in attendance included leaders from Argentina, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
US Vice President Kamala Harris attended the summit and announced a $1.5 billion aid package intended for humanitarian efforts and to help Kyiv rebuild its damaged infrastructure.
“This high-level attendance shows one thing: the world cares deeply about the war provoked by Russia’s aggression,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
Despite the strong presence of Western democracies, there were questions prior to the event regarding the potential outcomes, especially since neither Russia nor China, which has bolstered the Kremlin’s resistance to Western sanctions through close trade relations, were present.
The communique issued on Sunday indicated that signatories had reached several other agreements. These included allowing Ukraine to operate its nuclear power plants, including the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and ensuring the Kremlin refrains from using or threatening to use nuclear weapons. Additionally, the sides agreed that all children and civilians unlawfully displaced must be returned to Ukraine.
On Friday, the day before the summit commenced, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated the Kremlin’s peace plan, which calls for Ukrainian troops to withdraw from four southern and eastern regions that Moscow claims to have annexed in violation of international law, and for Kyiv to abandon its NATO membership ambitions.
While Russian forces have made modest advances in two of these regions—Donetsk and Luhansk—in recent months, they do not fully occupy all four, which also include Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who accompanied Harris to Switzerland, criticized Putin’s framework, stating it “defies basic morality.”
“He (Putin) said, not only does Ukraine have to give up the territory Russia currently occupies, but Ukraine has to leave additional sovereign Ukrainian territory before Russia will negotiate. And Ukraine must disarm so that it is vulnerable to future Russian aggression down the road. No responsible nation could say that is a reasonable basis for peace,” Sullivan said.
