The two-day Summit on Peace in Ukraine concluded Sunday at the Bürgenstock resort, with participants expressing hope for an end to the ongoing war between Moscow and Kyiv. Eighty countries and four organizations of the 100 attending delegations supported the final joint communiqué, which emerged from the Path to Peace Summit, seeking to address the Russia-Ukraine war that has raged since February 2022.
India, a notable participant, did not sign the document. Brazil, the current G-20 chair, attended only as an observer.
“The ongoing war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine continues to cause large-scale human suffering and destruction, and to create risks and crises with global repercussions,” said the declaration, which focused on nuclear safety, global food security, and humanitarian issues.
“All prisoners of war must be released by complete exchange. All deported and unlawfully displaced Ukrainian children, and all other Ukrainian civilians who were unlawfully detained, must be returned to Ukraine,” the declaration emphasized.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the event as a diplomatic success and indicated that a second peace summit could be held to work towards a just and lasting settlement.
“Russia and their leadership are not ready for a just peace,” Zelenskyy said at the closing press conference. “Russia can start negotiations with us even tomorrow without waiting for anything — if they leave our legal territories.”
Swiss President Viola Amherd called the communiqué “a strong signal from the international community for peace based on international law and the UN Charter.”
“Despite our different points of view, we have managed to agree on a common vision. We have set out that vision in the #BürgenstockCommuniqué. I am confident that we will commit ourselves to this process beyond the Bürgenstock, knowing that the road ahead is long and challenging,” Amherd posted on social media before her closing remarks.
In the opening ceremony and plenary sessions, Western bloc leaders emphasized that Ukraine was the victim in the conflict, asserting that peace cannot mean surrender, in reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s latest conditions for peace negotiations.
Russia’s absence loomed large over the summit, with Putin not invited by host Switzerland. The absence raised questions about the summit’s effectiveness. Switzerland, unlike China, India, or the United States, is a signatory to the Rome Statute and upholds decisions of the International Criminal Court, which has indicted Putin for alleged war crimes. Putin’s presence on Swiss soil could have led to his arrest. However, the conference recognized the necessity of involving Moscow in future peace talks.
“We believe that reaching peace requires the involvement of and dialogue between all parties. We, therefore, decided to undertake concrete steps in the future in the above-mentioned areas with further engagement of the representatives of all parties,” said the communiqué.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, in his opening remarks, suggested the summit could have been more productive if Russia had been present, offering Turkey’s willingness to facilitate talks between the warring sides.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, when asked about Russia, said, “That’s the idea. The next summit should mean the end of the war. And of course, we need the other side to be at the table.” However, he stressed that solutions must be just and lasting.
Concerns were also raised about China’s alignment with Russia and its absence from the summit. Finnish President Alexander Stubb, in an interview with the Finnish Broadcasting Company, emphasized the importance of China’s role in ending the conflict.
“That China stayed away is a problem and I appeal to China that they have to do something about it,” Stubb said. “China’s position, when it comes to Russia, is so strong that everybody knows that if China would give the thumbs down to the things Mr. Putin is doing at the moment, the war would end instantly. A phone call would be enough.”
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, speaking to The Hindu, expressed hope that the peace summit would find new partners, including India. He welcomed India’s diplomatic participation as a significant first step.
“India is so important for us. India is especially very important for Austria. India helped us to become free from the Soviet occupation,” Nehammer said, referencing Jawaharlal Nehru’s support during Austria’s negotiations with the Soviet Union on the State Treaty of Austria in 1953. The treaty led to Austria’s independence in 1955.
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