Ukraine war: peace summit opens in Switzerland, without Russia, or its major ally China

The question looming over the conference will be how Ukraine and Russia can silence the guns of war, without Moscow attending

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The hashtag #PathToPeace is pasted on the glass panel of a balustrade in front of a resort building as final preparations are done for the “Summit on Peace in Ukraine” in Switzerland. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 8:00am, 15 Jun 2024Updated: 1:04pm, 18 Jun 2024

Switzerland will host scores of world leaders this weekend to try to map out first steps toward peace in Ukraine, even though Russia, which launched the ongoing war, will not take part.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government did not want Russia involved, and the Swiss – aware of Moscow’s reservations about the talks – did not invite Russia. The Swiss insist Russia must be involved at some point, and hope it will join the process one day. Ukrainians, too, are considering that possibility.

The conference, underpinned by elements of a 10-point peace formula presented by Zelensky in late 2022, is unlikely to produce major results and is seen as a largely symbolic effort on the part of Kyiv to rally the international community and project strength against its better armed and numbered adversary.

Nevertheless, Zelensky on Saturday predicted “history being made” at the event, attended by the presidents of Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Kenya and Somalia as well as dozens of Western heads of state and government and other leaders and high-level envoys.

In a brief statement to reporters alongside Swiss President Viola Amherd, Zelensky already sought to cast the gathering as a success, saying: “We have succeeded in bringing back to the world the idea that joint efforts can stop war and establish a just peace.”

“I believe that we will witness history being made here at the summit,” he said.

But the question looming over the event will be how Russia and Ukraine can move back from the brink and eventually silence the guns in a war that has cost hundreds of billions of dollars and caused hundreds and thousands of deaths and injuries, without Moscow attending.