From: Atlantic Council By Shelby Magid
The upcoming Summit on Peace in Ukraine, organized by the Swiss government in coordination with the Ukrainian government, is the most ambitious convening yet for Ukraine’s ongoing effort to rally global support for its vision for a just and lasting peace in the country. The high-level gathering in Switzerland on June 15 and 16 will bring heads of state, government, and organizations together with the goal of developing a common understanding of a path toward peace in Ukraine.
Russia will not be present, and the summit at the Bürgenstock resort above Lake Lucerne is not itself a peace negotiation. Nonetheless, the gathering is important to watch for two reasons. First, Ukraine is coming to the discussions hoping to raise support for the ten-point peace plan put forward by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in November 2022. Not all ten points will be on the agenda in Switzerland, but several will serve as starting points. Second, with the attendance of representatives from nearly ninety countries and organizations confirmed, the summit could be a big opportunity to showcase far-reaching support for Ukraine among non-Western countries, even if there are several notable absences, such as China.
What to expect in Switzerland
The upcoming summit in Switzerland builds on other discussions and gatherings that have been held in Copenhagen, Jeddah, Malta, and Davos. The Swiss government aims to end the summit with a final declaration—one that is, as Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said, “ideally” backed unanimously by the participants.
While Russia was not invited, this did not stop the Kremlin from declaring that it would not have attended if invited and insisting that the summit is pointless without a Russian presence.
Voice of Ukraine 