Ukraine updates: World leaders head to Swiss peace summit – DW – 06/15/2024

The ultra-exclusive Bürgenstock Resort in the Swiss village of Obbürgen was doing the final preparations to host a peace summit on Saturday as world leaders were set to discuss what a possible road map to peace in Ukraine could look like.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived on Friday for the talks, where he will be joined by more than 50 other heads of state, but significantly not any representatives from Russia.

“There will be two days of active work with countries from all parts of the world, with different nations that are nonetheless united by a common goal of bringing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine closer,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.

The Ukrainian leader said talks will focus on the issues of nuclear safety, food security and the return of prisoners of war and Ukrainian children taken to Russian-controlled territory.

Moscow had previously announced it was not interested in participating and was subsequently frozen out of the talks.

The two sides have not held direct talks since the first weeks of the war.

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the summit a “trick to distract everyone”.

He said Russia would agree to a cease-fire and begin peace talks “immediately” if Ukraine pulled its soldiers out of the east and south and gave up its NATO membership bid.

Ukraine and the United States have rejected Putin’s hard-line conditions.

In the last few weeks, Zelenskyy has embarked on a whirlwind diplomatic tour to shore up support and attendance for the conference, ending with his participation in the G7 summit in Italy. 

US President Joe Biden, who signed a 10-year security deal with Zelenskyy on Thursday, is sending Vice President Kamala Harris in his stead. The other G7 leaders are set to attend.

Nevertheless, government circles in Germany have warned against “exaggerated expectations” as Moscow appears adamant that it can outlast Ukraine and its Western backers.

dvv/ab (AFP, Reuters, dpa, AP)