Peace Summit in Switzerland: Reuters reports on the mood of European officials about its impact

World leaders are gathering in Switzerland on Saturday for a summit to pressure Russia to end its war in Ukraine, but "the absence of Moscow's powerful allies, such as China, will weaken its potential influence," Reuters notes in a report, UNN reports.

Details

Dozens of Ukraine's allies will attend the event, but China is "staying away" after Russia stayed out of the process on the grounds that it dismissed the event as a waste of time and had no interest in participating, the newspaper writes.

The absence of China, as the newspaper interprets it, "means that hopes that the summit would show that Russia is isolated on a global scale have faded.

The talks are expected to focus on broader issues caused by the war, such as food and nuclear security, as well as freedom of navigation, and the draft final declaration names Russia as the aggressor, the sources said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the event an important step towards progress. "Many peace and security issues will be discussed, but not the most important ones. That was the plan," Scholz said in an interview with Welt TV before leaving for Switzerland.

"It's a small plant that needs to be watered, but, of course, with the understanding that you can get more out of it later," he added.

Scholz on Putin's "peaceful" plan: "frivolous" proposalsJun 15 2024, 08:47 AM • 31782 views

Richard Gauvin, director of the UN International Crisis Group, believes that "the summit risks showing the limits of Ukrainian diplomacy." "However, it is also a chance for Ukraine to remind the world that it defends the principles of the UN Charter," he said.

China said it would consider participating, but ultimately declined because Russia would not be there.

"It's obvious that now, geopolitically, China's special relationship with Russia takes precedence over any other considerations," said Bernardino Regazzoni, former Swiss ambassador to China.

The summit also had to face an alternative plan proposed by China.

European officials, the newspaper writes, "privately admit that without the support of Moscow's main allies, the summit's impact will be limited.

"What can (Zelenskiy) hope for from this? One more small step forward in international solidarity with Ukraine as a victim of Russian aggression," said Daniel Walker, former Swiss ambassador.

Polish President Andrzej Duda said that the summit's goal was to convey to more geographically distant countries the scale of the threat to peace posed by Moscow.

Among those expected to attend are US Vice President Kamala Harris and the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan. He is expected to be joined by India, Turkey, and Hungary, which maintain friendly relations with Russia.

Addendum

The Peace Summit is taking place in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on June 15-16. The aim of the meeting of heads of state and government is to develop a common understanding of the path to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. This should become the basis for the peace process.

Representatives of more than 90 countries will gather in Switzerland for a conference on peace in Ukraine. On Friday, Putin set conditions for peace talks with Ukraine.