Switzerland to host Ukraine peace summit: What is it? Who’s attending?

Leaders from dozens of states are in Switzerland to attend the two-day conference to discuss Kyiv’s peace plan, three years after Russia invaded Ukraine. The global summit on 15-16 June has been described as a “first step” by the Swiss government for “lasting peace” in the war-torn country.

Moscow will not be represented at the summit as it has not been invited and it said previously it had no plans to attend anyway. The high-profile talks come at a time when Russia has made gains on the battlefield and Ukraine is reeling from shortages of ammunition and troops.

What is the Ukraine peace summit? Who is attending and who is giving it a miss? Let’s take a closer look.

What is the Ukraine peace summit?

The global summit hosted by Switzerland aims to bolster diplomatic support for Ukraine’s 10-point peace plan.

Guests will gather at the luxurious Bürgenstock hotel, overlooking Lake Lucerne, for the peace summit.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy came up with a peace plan in November 2022 to address the resolution of Kyiv’s war with Russia.

The 10-point initiative includes the full withdrawal of Russian troops and prosecuting war crimes committed by Russia.

The proposal also includes restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity, stopping hostilities, the release of all prisoners and detainees, environmental protection, ensuring the shipment of Ukrainian food grains, energy security, security guarantees for Ukraine, restoring nuclear safety and ending the war.

This will be the highest-level event in Ukraine’s peace proposal, with four lower-level conferences held since last June.

What are the goals of the summit?

Ukraine hopes the talks will result in an action plan on three key aspects of its 10-point peace plan, Zelenskyy told AFP last month.

According to The Kyiv Independent report, one is freedom of navigation which entails protecting port infrastructure in the Black Sea and global food security.

The second point is energy and nuclear security which includes an end to attacks on Ukraine’s key infrastructure.

The third focus will be on the exchange of captives and the return of children illegally abducted to Russia, the report added.

According to Swiss officials, the summit aims to develop a “common understanding” towards “lasting peace” and create a “roadmap” to get both sides together, reported Al Jazeera.

Hennadiy Maksak, executive director of the foreign policy think tank Ukrainian Prism, told The Kyiv Independent that Kyiv chose the three points _"_which have more resonance with other nations, in order to have a more robust presence at the summit".

What could be achieved?

Experts do not expect much progress from the summit towards ending the war.

According to Responsible Statecraft magazine, Switzerland, which is hosting the conference, has lost “credibility” as a neutral host as it has endorsed Western sanctions on Russia and has even banned Russian planes from flying over its territory.

Russia’s absence at the event has also led to some other nations staying away from the summit, including China.

Beijing has maintained that both Ukraine and Russia should be at the table for mediation. Brazil has made a similar demand and said it would not attend otherwise, Al Jazeera reported citing Swiss officials.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly rejected the invitation.

Earlier, Swiss president Viola Amherd recommended not to expect too much from the summit. “We’re not going to sign the peace deal at this conference.”

“Obviously we shouldn’t expect peace at the peace summit, but it’s a good start,” Elina Beketova, a democracy fellow with the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) told The Kyiv Independent. “The realistic scenario is to develop a common position among the participating countries, which can then be presented to Russia in future peace talks.”

Switzerland’s foreign minister Ignazio Cassis said that his country believes that a peace process has to include Russia, suggesting efforts could be made to include Moscow later.
“The question is not whether Russia will be on board, the question is when,” he said, as per Al Jazeera.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, several attempts have been made to bring peace. Turkey managed to successfully negotiate the movement of grains from Ukraine through the Black Sea.

China offered itself as a peace mediator but due to its closeness to Russia, the West rebuffed Beijing’s proposal.

A ceasefire has remained elusive even after three years.

Who is attending?

According to Switzerland, 160 invitations were sent but just 90 states confirmed their presence.

The United States is attending the summit but President Joe Biden has bowed out. Instead,  Vice President Kamala Harris and US national security advisor Jake Sullivan will be present.

French president Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will be at the conference.

India will attend but Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be there. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said earlier in the week that New Delhi will participate at an “appropriate level”.

Zelenskyy said India would send a “high-level” delegation to the summit in Switzerland after meeting Modi in Italy on Friday.

The leaders, who met on the sidelines of the G7 gathering, discussed trade, expanding ties and preparations for the summit, which Ukraine hopes will be attended by around 100 countries and organisations. “Thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sending a high-level delegation to the Summit,” Zelenskyy said in a statement on the Telegram app after their meeting.

Beijing, which has close ties with Moscow, said it would not go, describing the attendance of both warring sides as a prerequisite for any substantive peace conference, reports Reuters.

Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, Polish president Andrzej Duda, Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer, Finnish president Alexander Stubb, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics and Moldovan president Maia Sandu are among others also taking part.

Hungary, which has maintained close ties with Moscow and has criticised Western sanctions on Russia, has said it will send its foreign minister, as has Turkey. Switzerland said India will also participate, though it is not clear at what level.

Brazil’s ambassador is expected to attend, and Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met Swiss President Viola Amherd in Geneva on Thursday, though she noted they had “different” views on the Ukraine war. It remains unclear whether South Africa, another part of the BRICS group that includes Russia, will take part.

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida and Singaporean PM Lawrence Wong will also attend.

Australia will send Bill Shorten, minister for the national disability insurance scheme and ex-leader of the ruling Labour Party. Australia’s PM Anthony Albanese could not attend due to an official visit by China’s Premier Li Qiang.

With inputs from agencies