- India, Turkiye, and Hungary’s foreign ministers will represent their countries.
- China, a key consumer of Russian oil and supplier of goods, will not attend.
- The summit aims to create a pathway for peace in Ukraine.
World leaders will join Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky at a summit this weekend to explore ways of ending the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two. However, Russia was not invited, and the event will not achieve Kyiv’s goal of isolating Moscow.
US Vice President Kamala Harris, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the leaders of Germany, Italy, Britain, Canada, and Japan are scheduled to attend the June 15-16 meeting at the Swiss mountaintop resort of Buergenstock.
India, which has helped Moscow survive the impact of economic sanctions, is expected to send a delegation. Turkiye and Hungary will have their foreign ministers represent them, maintaining cordial ties with Russia.
But despite months of intense Ukrainian lobbying, some others will not attend, most notably China, a key consumer of Russian oil and supplier of goods that assist Moscow in maintaining its manufacturing base.
Zelensky said in Berlin on Tuesday, “This meeting has already produced results,” while also acknowledging the challenge of maintaining international support as the war, now well into its third year, continues.
“Uniting countries who are partners and non-partners is a difficult mission in itself for Ukraine when the war is not in its first month,” Zelensky said.
On Wednesday, Zelensky visited Saudi Arabia to discuss preparations for the summit with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but it remains unclear whether the kingdom will send a representative.
Ulrich Schmid, a political scientist and Eastern Europe expert at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, labeled the summit “a mixed bag,” noting the support shown from some quarters and highlighting China’s absence.
“Then the question arises: is peace doable?” Schmid added. “As long as (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is in power… it will be difficult.”
Around 90 states and organizations have confirmed their participation in a summit in Switzerland on June 15-16 aimed at creating a pathway for peace in Ukraine.
Here is an overview of the major players attending the talks at the Buergenstock resort outside the city of Lucerne, as well as some notable absentees, such as Russia and China.
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