The Swiss government will host a two-day peace conference on Ukraine in mid-June, it announced today, although Russia has made it clear it will not participate in the initiative.
Switzerland said in January it would host the peace summit at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. She subsequently began contacts on this issue with EUG7 members and other major countries such as China and India to gain their support. “There is now sufficient international support for a high-level conference to kick-start the peace process,” – the federal council said in a statement.
The conference will take place on June 15-16 at the resort of Birgenstock, in the canton of Nidwalden, near Lucerne. Its goal is to create the basis for lasting peace in Ukraine and “a concrete road map for Russia's participation in the peace process.”
While Moscow says it is not opposed to negotiations to end the war, Russian officials have said they will not participate in the talks in Switzerland, believing that the country has abandoned its neutrality regarding the war in Ukraine. Russia also argues that the Swiss initiative is meaningless without its participation. Swiss authorities have not yet disclosed the full list of those who will take part in the negotiations.
After two years of war, Russia has captured just under a fifth of Ukrainian territory and accuses Ukraine's Western allies of using it as a fighting field against it. Moscow has repeatedly stated that it is open to negotiations if considerations are taken into account “new realities on the ground.” Ukraine demands the restoration of its territorial integrity and the complete withdrawal of Russian troops as a precondition for achieving peace.
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