Dozens of countries gathered at a landmark international summit on peace in Ukraine agreed that Kiev should open a dialogue with Russia to end the war, while firmly backing Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity.
More than two years after Russia's invasion, leaders and senior officials from more than 90 countries spent the weekend in a Swiss mountain resort for a two-day summit dedicated to resolving Europe's biggest conflict since World War II.
"We believe that the achievement of peace requires the participation of all parties and dialogue between them," said the final communique, supported by the majority of countries that attended the forum at the Burgenstock complex overlooking Lake Lucerne.
The document also confirms the commitment to the "territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine". The declaration also calls for a full exchange of prisoners of war and the return of deported children.
However, not all participants supported the document, including India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, AFP reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope that he will reach an international agreement on a proposal to end the war, which he may present to Moscow.
The Kremlin echoed Putin's call
On June 16, the summit focused on food security, avoiding a nuclear catastrophe and the return of deported Ukrainian children from Russia, as the countries outlined the building blocks for ending the war.
The summit, which was rejected by Russia and its ally China, came at a time when Ukraine is struggling on the battlefield, where it is outnumbered in manpower and weaponry.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded the virtual capitulation of Kiev as a basis for peace talks. Putin's call for Ukraine to withdraw from the south and east of the country was roundly rejected at the summit. But the Kremlin today insisted that Ukraine must "consider" Putin's demands, citing the military situation on the ground.
"The current dynamics of the situation on the front clearly show us that it continues to deteriorate for the Ukrainians," Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
"Probably a politician who puts the interests of his country above his own and those of his masters would think about such a proposal," he added, referring to Zelensky.
Russia says its troops have captured the village of Zagryne in southern Ukraine, continuing their advance on the front line.
Children and "nuclear" fears
Talks in Bürgenstock focused on areas of common ground between Zelenskiy's 10-point peace plan, presented at the end of 2022, and the UN resolutions on the war, which were passed with broad support.
The narrow scope of the topics was an attempt to garner the widest possible support on the topics covered by international law and the UN Charter.
The countries split into three working groups looking at nuclear safety and security, humanitarian issues and food security, and freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.
The session on humanitarian aspects focused on issues related to prisoners of war, civilian prisoners, internees and the fate of missing persons. The repatriation of children taken from the occupied Ukrainian territory to Russia was also discussed.
The food security talks addressed the decline in agricultural production and exports, which had repercussions around the world, as Ukraine was one of the world's breadbaskets before the war.
The talks looked not only at the destruction of fertile lands as a result of military operations, but also the continuing risks associated with mines and unexploded ordnance.
Artillery attacks on ships in the Black Sea increased the cost of sea transport.
The Nuclear Safety Group looked at the volatile safety and security situation at Ukraine's nuclear power plants, particularly in Zaporizhia, where all reactors have been shut down since mid-April.
The talks were devoted to reducing the risk of an accident resulting from a malfunction or attack on Ukrainian nuclear facilities.
"When a just and lasting peace comes, we will all be there to help Ukraine rebuild," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in closing remarks.
"The people who lost their lives, the destroyed families, they will not be able to bring them back. This is the most painful consequence of war: human suffering. This illegal war by Russia must end," he said, while acknowledging , that "it won't be easy".
Second summit
Thoughts also turned to a potential second summit, where Ukraine wants to present Russia with an internationally agreed peace plan.
In her closing remarks, Swiss President Viola Amherd said: "One key question remains: how and when can Russia be brought into the process?"
"We heard it in many of your speeches: a lasting solution must involve both sides," she pointed out, noting that "the road ahead is long and full of challenges."
Zelensky has not said whether he is ready to engage directly with Putin in talks to end the conflict, although he has ruled out direct talks with him in the past.
"Russia should join this process because it is responsible for starting the process called war," Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili said. | BGNES
