During a peace summit in Switzerland, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that peace talks could take place “tomorrow” provided that Russia withdraws completely from all Ukrainian territory.
Over the course of two days, numerous countries came together for a summit aimed at expediting the end of the ongoing war in Ukraine. The summit concluded on Sunday with a multitude of nations pledging their support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
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Russian forces have been accused of killing three civilians in a strike on the Donetsk region. Some individuals are pointing fingers at Vladimir Putin, claiming that he is “seducing the West”.
According to Vadym Filashkin, the head of Donetsk Regional Military Administration, three individuals were killed and five others were injured in Ulakly by Russian soldiers, as reported on Telegram.
In his statement, he emphasized that the number of victims of Russia in Donetsk oblast does not take into account those who were killed and injured in Mariupol and Volnovakha. He also used the hashtags #StopRussia and #RussiaKillsCivilians to further emphasize the gravity of the situation.
According to war analysts, Mr Putin’s supposed interest in peace negotiations is nothing more than a ploy to “seduce” the West.
“Mr. Putin ridiculed the summit by dismissing it as a mere attempt to distract everyone’s attention from the true cause and effect of the Ukrainian crisis. He claimed that the summit would only serve to divert the discussion onto the wrong track.”
China, Ukraine’s largest ally, chose not to participate, resulting in the failure of the summit’s goal to convince significant nations from the “global South” to join in isolating Russia.
Although 90 countries participated in the two-day conference, they were unable to convince significant non-aligned states to join their final statement, and no country volunteered to host another meeting.
The conference offered Kyiv a valuable opportunity to demonstrate to the world the support it requires from its Western allies to continue its fight against a significantly larger foe.
Mr. Zelensky stated that they are not only defending human lives against Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine but also responding with full-scale diplomacy.
In an interview with the BBC, he stated that negotiations with Russia can commence at any time, provided that they withdraw from our territories.
Leaders from France, Germany, Britain, Japan, Poland, Argentina, Ecuador, Kenya, Somalia, and The Vatican attended the event. Vice President Kamala Harris represented the United States.
Several countries, including India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates, were not signatories to the final document. Foreign ministers or lower-level envoys represented these nations, and the document addressed concerns relating to nuclear safety, food security, and the release of prisoners. Brazil, present as an observer, did not sign the document. However, Turkey signed on to the agreement.
According to Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s executive Commission, the conference was aptly named “Path to Peace” as it acknowledges that achieving peace is not a one-step process.
According to her, the negotiations were not aimed at achieving peace as Putin did not show a genuine interest in ending the war. Instead, he was pushing for a complete surrender, including the cession of Ukrainian territories that are currently not under his occupation.
“This is an outrageous demand to disarm Ukraine, leaving the country vulnerable to future aggression. It’s not acceptable for any nation to be asked to accept such terms,” said the speaker, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
On Friday, Mr Putin made a promise to order a ceasefire in Ukraine and initiate negotiations immediately if Kyiv withdrew troops from the four regions annexed by Moscow in 2022 and abandoned plans to join Nato.
According to reports, Mr Zelensky refused to comply with what he deemed as an ultimatum from Mr Putin, which required him to cede additional territory.
In the final declaration of the summit, it was emphasized that the control of Ukraine over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and its Azov Sea ports should be restored.
Although the conference had more modest goals, it did not address some of the more challenging issues related to Ukraine’s future. For instance, there was no discussion on what a post-war settlement for Ukraine might entail, whether Ukraine could become a part of the NATO alliance, or how the withdrawal of troops from both sides would be handled.
According to Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, having more allies who are willing to speak up and say things like ‘This is too much’, ‘That’s overstepping the mark’, and ‘Things can’t go on like this’ will increase the moral pressure on the Russian Federation.
