IRIA News

Leaders and representatives from over 90 countries gathered in Lucerne, Switzerland to participate in the two-day-long Ukraine Peace Summit, which concluded on June 16, 2024. However, any hopes of a significant breakthrough were tempered by the notable absence of Russia, which dismissed the summit as “absurd” and pointless.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, leaders from the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, and diplomats from several other countries joined the summit at the Swiss luxury Bürgenstock resort near Lucerne. 

The Ukraine Peace Summit focused on Kyiv’s proposals for resolving the ongoing conflict, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy leading the discussions. The Ukrainian government had worked actively for months to ensure attendance from countries that maintain positive relations with Russia.

Several attendees navigated a delicate balancing act as they condemned Russia for violating international law while simultaneously hedging their positions to keep the possibility open for talks with Moscow and to participate in future peace talks that could eventually resolve the conflict.

No agreements among attendees

Only 78 of the 90 countries present signed the communiqué in favor of Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders. Saudi Arabia, Brazil, India, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were among those who did not support the final communique that called for ending Russia’s war with efforts to achieve a “just and lasting peace” that upholds Kyiv’s territorial integrity. Brazil listed itself as an “observer,” of the summit and refrained from signing the final communique. China did not attend the summit, citing Moscow’s exclusion from the talks. Russia was not invited.  

Today the world sees that real diplomacy is not just about words, it is about steps – steps that need to be taken to fix a situation.

We have begun to develop such steps, and this is the practical meaning of the Peace Summit. I hope that we can achieve results as soon as… pic.twitter.com/GUs4LVzMPl

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 16, 2024

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, stated at the conference that credible peace talks would necessitate Russia’s involvement and would require “difficult compromise.” Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, recognized the deep mistrust between Russia and Ukraine, noting that “each side regards the other party’s steps (in floating proposals) as an extension of the broader war effort.”

“Excellencies, I must also note that this summit could have been more results-oriented if the other party to the conflict, Russia, was present in the room,” he added.

“Here, there are representatives from Latin America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, the Pacific, North America, and religious leaders,” Zelenskyy said during his speech. “Now, there is no Russia here. Why? Because if Russia was interested in peace, there would be no war.”

“We must decide together what a just peace means for the world and how it can be achieved in a truly lasting way,” he said. “At the first peace summit, we must determine how to achieve a just peace, so that at the second, we can already settle on a real end to the war.”

Final communique

The final communiqué, issued at the end of the summit on June 16, called for the full exchange of captured soldiers and the return of deported Ukrainian children. “We believe that reaching peace requires the involvement of and dialogue between all parties,” the document stated, underscoring the importance of comprehensive engagement in the peace process.

A united world is a world of peace, a world that knows how to do the right thing. I thank everyone who worked for this day – every leader, all the teams and advisors of the leaders, all the countries. Our unity here proves that the very idea of international law remains alive and… pic.twitter.com/SXOR0KlPRN

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 16, 2024

Kyiv has accused Russia of abducting nearly 20,000 children from regions in the east and south of Ukraine under its control. The summit’s declaration emphasized the necessity of returning these “unlawfully displaced children” to Ukraine. Additionally, it reaffirmed “the principles of sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of all states, including Ukraine, within their internationally recognized borders.”

In his speech, President Zelenskyy expressed hope for swift results, stating, “We’ll prove to everyone in the world that the UN Charter can be restored to full effectiveness.”

Food and nuclear security

The importance of securing food supplies and ensuring the safe operation of nuclear facilities was a key theme throughout the summit. The discussions underscored the interconnected nature of the war’s impact, affecting not only Ukraine but also global stability.

Working groups at the summit also tackled global food security and nuclear safety issues related to the Russia-Ukraine war. The final declaration emphasized that “food security must not be weaponized in any way,” highlighting the critical importance of access to ports in the Black and Azov Seas for the global food supply.

The representatives called for Ukraine to have “full sovereign control” over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest nuclear energy site, which has been under Russian control since early in the conflict.

On the same day, Russia’s defense ministry announced that its forces had taken control of another village in the Zaporizhzhia region. This development added urgency to the summit’s discussions on securing Ukrainian sovereignty and addressing the broader implications of the conflict.

$1.5 billion for Ukraine’s energy sector

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris reaffirmed her country’s steadfast support for Ukraine and announced over $1.5 billion in aid to bolster Ukraine’s energy sector and address its humanitarian crisis caused by Russia’s 27-month invasion. Harris made this announcement during her meeting with the Ukrainian president.

“This war remains an utter failure for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin,” Harris said. “It is in our interest to uphold international norms,” she added, pledging U.S. support for the country.

The $1.5 billion package comprises $500 million in new funding for energy assistance and the reallocation of $324 million in previously announced funds for emergency energy infrastructure repairs and other urgent needs in Ukraine, according to the vice president’s office.

Complex reactions to the ongoing situation

The summit’s outcome reflected the complex geopolitical landscape and the challenges of building a unified international response to the conflict in Ukraine. While most countries supported the communique, the absence of key states from the list of signatories highlighted the difficulties in achieving a consensus.

Swiss organizers described the summit as a “conference for peace, not a peace conference.” The summit revealed the limitations of diplomatic efforts without the participation of all relevant parties. Russia’s absence loomed large over the proceedings, casting doubt on the feasibility of implementing the agreed-upon measures without its cooperation.

Despite these challenges, the summit marked an important step in the international community’s efforts to address the crisis in Ukraine. The discussions in Switzerland’s scenic Burgenstock resort underscored the commitment of many nations to support Ukraine and seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict.fger