Stansstad, June 16, 2024. Michael Buholzer/Pool via REUTERS
At a recent summit held in Switzerland, Western powers and their allies denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, they were unable to convince major non-aligned states to join their final statement, and no country volunteered to host a subsequent meeting. The summit, convened at the behest of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, was attended by over 90 countries. Despite being billed as a “peace summit,” Moscow was not invited, and Russia derided the event from afar.
China’s decision to abstain from the summit assured its failure to meet Ukraine’s objective of persuading key nations from the “global South” to isolate Russia. Brazil participated only as an observer, and India, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa refrained from signing the summit communique, despite the omission of contentious issues to garner broader support. Nonetheless, the conference allowed Kyiv to highlight the support from Western allies, which it asserts is essential to continue its resistance against Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy remarked, “We are responding to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine not only with a full-scale defense of human life, but also with full-scale diplomacy.” High-profile attendees included U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and French President Emmanuel Macron. U.S. President Joe Biden, although in Europe for other engagements the previous week, did not attend despite public invitations from Zelenskiy.
The conflict in Ukraine has seen little change in the frontlines since late 2022, despite significant casualties on both sides in ongoing trench warfare, which represents the most intense fighting in Europe since World War Two. Swiss President Viola Amherd, in her closing remarks, cautioned that the “road ahead is long and challenging.”
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, ridiculed the summit, stating, “None of the participants in the ‘peace forum’ knows what he is doing there and what his role is.”
After initial successes in repelling an assault on Kyiv and reclaiming territory, Ukraine’s major counter-offensive with Western-donated tanks faltered last year. Russian forces continue to hold a fifth of Ukraine and are making slow advances. No peace negotiations have occurred for over two years. European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged the complexity of achieving peace in Ukraine, stating, “We know that peace in Ukraine will not be achieved in one step, it will be a journey,” and called for “patience and determination.”
Von der Leyen further clarified that the summit was not a peace negotiation because Russian President Vladimir Putin remains insistent on Ukraine’s capitulation and ceding territory. In light of the stalled peace process, President Zelenskiy emphasized practical concerns such as nuclear safety and maintaining food supplies from Ukraine, one of the world’s largest grain exporters.
The summit’s final declaration advocated for the restoration of Ukraine’s control over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and its Azov Sea ports. However, it avoided more contentious issues such as the post-war settlement for Ukraine, potential NATO membership, or the specifics of troop withdrawals. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer highlighted the importance of garnering international support to increase moral pressure on Russia, stating, “The more allies that can be found to say ‘Things can’t go on like this’, ‘This is too much’, ‘That’s overstepping the mark’, that also increases the moral pressure on the Russian Federation.”
As discussions shifted towards food security and nuclear power, some leaders departed early. No nation volunteered to host a subsequent meeting, with Saudi Arabia, previously suggested as a potential future venue, remaining silent. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud expressed the kingdom’s readiness to assist in the peace process but noted that a viable settlement would require “difficult compromise.”
Since the early months following the February 2022 invasion, Ukraine has consistently demanded a complete Russian withdrawal from its territory, while Russia has insisted on recognition of its control over captured regions. Last week, President Putin declared that Russia would not cease hostilities until Kyiv withdrew from four provinces partially controlled and annexed by Moscow, a demand swiftly rejected by Ukraine as a call for surrender.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated, “Of course we…understand perfectly that a time will come when it will be necessary to talk to Russia. But our position is very clear: We will not allow Russia to speak in the language of ultimatums like it is speaking now.”
Western leaders at the summit supported Kyiv’s refusal to negotiate under such terms. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned, “Confusing peace with subjugation would set a dangerous precedent for everyone.”
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