Over 100 world leaders including US Vice President Kamala Harris, and the presidents or heads of the European Union, South American, Middle Eastern and Asian countries will gather at a luxury resort in Switzerland on Saturday, for the Global Peace Summit, to pressure Russia to end its war in Ukraine. However, the absence of powerful allies of Moscow such as China will blunt its potential impact, according to Reuters.
I arrived in Switzerland for the Global Peace Summit. 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.
The Peace Summit… pic.twitter.com/DhS54e1Xk0
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 14, 2024
This Swiss summit coincides with G7 leaders gathering in Italy where they finalised a new deal for a $50 billion loan for Ukraine. The loan will be secured using the windfall profits from the interest on Russian central bank assets frozen by the EU and other Western nations after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
As per The Guardian, the two-day peace conference will discuss Kyiv’s proposed 10-point plan to end the war as well as themes regarding — the nuclear threat, food security and humanitarian needs in Ukraine.
However, China’s absence has dimmed hopes of isolating Moscow, and the recent military setbacks have put Kyiv at a disadvantage. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia would end the war only if Kyiv agreed to drop its NATO ambitions and hand over the entirety of four provinces claimed by Moscow, these demands were rejected by Kyiv equalising it as surrendering, as per Reuters.
Switzerland, which is hosting the summit at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, wants to pave the way for a future peace process that includes Russia. The Ukrainian president has even accused Beijing of helping Moscow undermine the gathering, an accusation China’s foreign ministry denied.
According to the report, China had said it would be a part of the summit but ultimately declined, saying Russia wouldn’t be a part of it.
A former Swiss ambassador to China that it was “clear that at the moment” in geopolitical terms, China’s relationship with Russia takes precedence over any consideration, according to Reuters.