Peace summit reaffirms Ukraine’s integrity | War in Ukraine

The vast majority of countries gathered at the first Ukraine peace summit reiterated their support for Ukraine’s independence and territorial sovereignty while recognizing that Russia will need to be part of the discussions to achieve “a lasting peace and just.”

Involve Russia in the discussions?

More than two years after the Russian invasion, the vast majority of the hundred or so participants gathered since Saturday in a hotel complex in the center of Switzerland managed to agree on a final communiqué which outlines avenues to put an end to the most major European conflict since the Second World War.

However, the question of knowing how and when to involve Russia remains open, recognized the President of the Swiss Confederation and host of the summit, Viola Amherd.

According to a count broadcast on an official screen in the press room, around 80 countries support the final declaration. Brazil, India and Saudi Arabia, in particular, were not among them at the start of the afternoon.

The text reaffirms the principles of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all states, including Ukraine. He denounces the militarization of food security and calls for the return of Ukrainian children deported by Russia.

He also calls to involve all parties to the conflict to put an end to hostilities, while Russia and its Chinese ally snubbed this first summit.

On Saturday, the Ukrainian president expressed the hope of uniting the international community around a peace proposal that he could possibly present to Moscow.

We must decide together what just peace means for the world and how it can be achieved sustainablyhe said on Saturday.

The summit takes place while Ukraine is in military difficulty. The call for surrender launched the day before the summit by President Vladimir Putin was, however, sharply rejected by a majority of participants.

Peskov calls on Zelensky to to reflect on to Putin’s proposal

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday that Ukraine should to reflect on to the proposal of the Russian president, ensuring that it was not a ultimatum but of a peace initiative that takes into account the realities on the ground.

The discussions in Switzerland are based on the points of Mr. Zelensky’s peace plan presented at the end of 2022 which there is consensus and on the resolutions of theUN.

The diplomatic success of the summit comes in particular with the release of American military aid after months of procrastination as well as a loan of 50 billion dollars guaranteed by frozen Russian assets.

On Sunday, delegations divided into three working groups on pressing topics: nuclear security and global food security, including ensuring freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.

Final communiqué demands release by full exchange not only prisoners of war but also of all Ukrainian children deported and illegally displaced.

There are approximately 20,000 Ukrainian children taken from their families, their communities and their country. It’s terrifying to say this: how can the world look away?

The text also calls for all illegally detained Ukrainian civilians to be returned to Ukraine.

Discussions on food security focused on the crisis in agricultural production and exports, which created a food and inflationary shock at the start of the war, with Ukraine being one of the world’s grain baskets.

The final communiqué emphasizes that food security should not be militarized in any way and that freedom of navigation on the Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov must be guaranteed.

Discussions focused not only on the destruction of fertile land but also on the risks posed by mines and unexploded ordnance.

Finding a political solution in Ukraine remains crucial to stabilizing food prices on the global marketunderlined Switzerland.

The Zaporizhia case

The final communiqué also calls on Ukraine to have a total sovereign control on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly warned of the risk of a major nuclear disaster at this facility controlled by Russian forces.

Ukrainian nuclear power plants and facilities, including the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, must operate safely under Ukraine’s sovereign and full control.

For French President Emmanuel Macron, this was one of the priorities of the summit.

A second peace summit is already being discussed and the Ukrainians have suggested that they see Russia participating.

The next conference absolutely should not take place without Russia. We must speak to the enemy, believes Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar, joined by Kenya, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Emmanuel Macron also called for expand the circle of countries around the discussion table.

However, in the eyes of the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, Vladimir Putin is not interested in peace.

Russia is not ready to a just peacesaid Zelensky

Russia and its leaders are not ready for a just peaceUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused on Sunday after the summit.

We have to do our job: let’s not think about Russia, let’s do what we have to do. For now, Russia and its leaders are not ready for a just peace. It is a fact.

Russia can negotiate peace tomorrow if she withdraws from our territoryinsisted Mr. Zelensky, while Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was ready for talks.

However, he set unacceptable conditions for kyiv, which would amount to a surrender and abandonment of territories recognized as Ukrainian by the international community.

Mr. Zelensky also affirmed that Ukraine is not not the enemy of China in response to a question about its relations with Beijing.

China is an ally of Russia and has been accused of contributing to the Russian war effort by supplying components. Beijing chose not to attend this weekend’s peace summit because Moscow was absent.

China could help usunderlined Mr. Zelensky.

Despite the resumption of American military aid, blocked for many months, and the commitments made by other allies, particularly Europeans, Volodymyr Zelensky believes that the current volumes are not sufficient to win the war.

There is help. There are considerable deliveries. Is it enough to win? No. Is it coming late? Yessaid Mr. Zelensky.