Switzerland says Russia should participate in the Peace Summit, but not this year

Switzerland is convinced that the Russian Federation should participate in the Peace Summit, as “a peace process without Russia is unthinkable.” However, this year’s event did not extend an invitation to Moscow. The Swiss Foreign Ministry’s press service has stated this.

Switzerland hosts this year the Peace Summit, which intends to find a solution for the Russia-Ukraine war, which started with a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Switzerland has sent invitations to over 160 delegations worldwide to participate in the Peace Summit, scheduled for June 15–16, 2024, at the Burgenstock resort.

“The summit will build on the discussions that have taken place in recent months, in particular on the Ukrainian Peace Formula and other peace proposals based on the UN Charter and key principles of international law,” the statement said.

The event’s primary goal is to encourage a peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war.

“Switzerland has a long tradition of promoting dialogue. Thus, it considers it vital to exchange different views on the path to peace in Ukraine,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin itself has stated that it will not be attending the summit.

At this point, Switzerland has not extended an invitation to Russia. Switzerland has always been open to inviting Russia to this summit. However, Russia has repeatedly and publicly stated that it is not interested in participating in this first summit,” the ministry said.

At the same time, they noted that Russia should participate in similar events in the future.

“Switzerland believes that Russia should be involved in this process.” A peace process without Russia is unthinkable,” the ministry summarized.

According to the Swiss statement, the overarching objective of the summit is to inspire a future peace process. To achieve this, the summit intends to:

• Provide a platform for dialogue on ways towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine based on international law and the UN Charter;
• Promote a common understanding of a possible framework to reach this goal;
• Jointly define a roadmap on how to involve both parties in a future peace process.

On February 26, Switzerland announced its intention to hold a summit on peace in Ukraine by the summer. The Kremlin said that organizing such an event without Russia was “frivolous and even ridiculous.”

“Peace Formula” was presented in November at the G20 summit in Bali by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He introduced a 10-point document to restore peace in Ukraine. The European Union Foreign Affairs Council endorsed Ukraine’s Formula for Peace and said it would promote it globally.

Wang Shihting, the Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland, stated on March 18 that China was considering taking part in the peace summit that Switzerland was organizing at Ukraine’s request. China came under criticism from the United States. American officials accused Beijing of supporting Russia’s military efforts.