Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, right, is welcomed by an Ukrainian military official, left, Iryna Wenediktowa, Ukrainian Ambassador to Switzerland, third from left, Manuel Irman, Deputy Head of Swiss Protocol, second from right, as he arrives at Zurich airport in Zurich Kloten, Switzerland, Friday, June 14, 2024.
“Here, there are representatives from Latin America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, the Pacific, North America and religious leaders,” Zelensky said. “Now, there is no Russia here. Why? Because if Russia was interested in peace, there would be no war.” Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, told the conference that credible peace talks will need Russia’s participation and require “difficult compromise.”
In a separate initiative last month, China and Brazil agreed to six “common understandings” toward a political settlement of Ukraine crisis, asking other countries to play a role in promoting peace talks to be held “at a proper time” with both Russia and Ukraine involved. Russian troops who control nearly a quarter of Ukraine have made territorial gains in recent months. When talk of the Swiss-hosted peace summit began last summer, Ukrainian forces had recently regained large tracts of territory, notably near the southern city of Kherson and the northern city of Kharkiv.