A proposed Swiss-hosted peace conference on the Ukraine conflict could take place in mid June, with up to 100 nations, mostly from the Global South, invited to attend, according to sources cited in a Bloomberg report on Monday.
Bern has proposed hosting a major peace summit sometime this year. However, no specific date has been set and no list of potential participants has been disclosed.
Sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg it is still unclear how many leaders would be present at the event. In addition, a key point of contention is whether China will participate, they said, adding that this would be crucial for Switzerland to make the initiative credible.
A spokesperson for the Swiss foreign ministry reportedly said the date and venue of the conference haven’t been fixed yet, though June 16-17 has been widely mentioned.
“In addition to the perspectives of Ukraine, Russia and Europe, it is also important to listen to the Global South, which will play a key role in the eventual inclusion of Russia in the process,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying. “That is why we are in close contact with China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Saudi Arabia,” he specified.
China said in March it was examining the possibility of taking part in the proposed peace conference. However, Politico reported later, citing informed sources, that Beijing would boycott peace talks unless Moscow has a seat at the table.
Moscow has called the conference that Bern is suggesting “pointless” and has indicated it has no intention of participating, even if officially invited.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said last month the forum as envisaged would be dedicated to the promotion of the ‘Zelensky peace formula,’ which Moscow has panned as unrealistic.
Ukraine insists that peace can only be negotiated on President Zelensky’s terms, which include the withdrawal of Russian forces from “illegally occupied” territory. Moscow has rejected the demands as a non-starter, stressing that it will not surrender Crimea and four other former Ukrainian regions that joined Russia after holding referendums.
Kiev’s basic demands remain the same while legitimate Russian interests are being ignored, according to Zakharova. The spokesperson also indicated that Switzerland has “lost” its neutral status and cannot serve as a platform for peacekeeping efforts.
Ukraine’s Western backers insist that a peace settlement can only be achieved on Kiev’s terms and have vowed to continue weapons deliveries for “as long as it takes.” Russia, meanwhile, has stressed that no amount of foreign aid will change the course of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly stressed it remains open to discussions, but only if Kiev recognizes the “reality on the ground.”