Swiss President Viola Amherd on Monday, during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to Bern, said that her nation has offered to organize a peace summit that would aim to help bring an end to Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia.
“I confirmed to him that Switzerland is ready to organize a conference,” Amherd said during a joint news conference with Zelenskiy. “We have agreed that we will examine the details of the next steps in depth to ensure that the peace process is a success.”
The two presidents said the Ukrainian and Swiss teams would begin preparations for a Global Peace Summit in Switzerland as early as yesterday. No details were provided about when or how such a summit could take place, and Russia has not been involved in the process.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“This summit is intended to infuse the necessary energy into everything that has already been achieved and to determine that the end of the war must be fair, and the restoration of the strength of international law complete,” Zelenskiy said.
Talks of a peace summit came as Ukrainian military chiefs on Monday said that their forces had shot down a Russian early-warning and control plane and a key command-center aircraft, which if confirmed would be a notable feat for Ukraine in the almost two-year war.
Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, on Sunday took part in Swiss-hosted talks in Davos among dozens of national envoys about Zelenskiy’s 10-point peace formula — which ultimately aims to feed into the possible peace summit.
As for who might attend, Zelenskiy said that Ukraine was open “to all countries in the world that respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity... So draw conclusions about whom we invite.”
He conveyed Ukraine’s strong desire for nations from the Global South to be present.
“It is important for us to show that the whole world is against the aggression of Russia and the whole world is for a fair peace,” Zelenskiy said.
“If countries truly want the war to end, they will support our plan,” he said, adding that it was an “open plan” that would welcome proposals from other nations.
Switzerland, which has long touted its neutrality, has been at pains to strike the right balance over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine that began in February 2022.
The Swiss have lined up with EU sanctions on Russian people and interests over the conflict in Ukraine.
The meeting in Bern came hours after Amherd hosted Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強), who is also on his way to the elite gathering in Davos.
It was not immediately clear whether he would meet Zelenskiy there.
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