Ukraine peace summit, live: Volodimir Zelensky and 50 other world leaders will meet in Switzerland

The High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs, Josep BorrellI affirm that “the aggressor cannot dictate the conditions of the ceasefire” after the Russian president, Vladimir Putinproposed this Friday a truce if Ukraine hands over the territories occupied by Russia to Moscow and renounces joining NATO.

“Putin’s unacceptable demands are intended to legitimize the invasion and undermine peace effortswhile Russia rearms and prepares for a long war,” said Borrell.

The head of European diplomacy stressed that Russia “has no real interest in peace,” in light of Moscow’s “continued aggression” in Ukraine, and stressed that “the principles of the United Nations Charter” show the way to achieve “a global, just and lasting peace” in this war.

Ukraine has rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “truce offer” in exchange for more territory and abandoning plans to join NATO, calling it an “illegal” and “cynical” ultimatum aimed at disrupting Ukrainian efforts. to gain international support at this weekend’s peace summit in Switzerland.

“It is absurd that Putin, who planned, prepared and carried out, together with his accomplices, the greatest armed aggression in Europe since the Second World War, presents himself as a peacemaker.“said a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine distributed in several languages ​​and shared by the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmytro Kuleba.

Kuleba’s ministry noted that the “manipulative statements” by Putin seek to deceive the international community and undermine diplomatic efforts to achieve a just peace.

“Russia’s plans are not for peace, but for the continuation of the war, the occupation of Ukrainethe destruction of the Ukrainian people and new aggressions in Europe,” the ministry’s message underlined.

The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyindicated that the summit, which will take place in the city of Lucerne, is designed in such a way that “all countries will have the opportunity to demonstrate their leadership” in the form of a “responsible majority with the potential to bring peace closer and fully restore the United Nations Charter”.

“There will be two days of talks between different nations and united despite everything with the common objective of bringing a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.” she added.

The head of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchez; and the president of Argentina, Javier Mileiwill coincide this Saturday for the first time since the beginning of the diplomatic crisis that has led Spain to permanently withdraw its ambassador in Buenos Aires.

The quote that will cause this coincidence is the international summit on Ukraine which will be held over the weekend at the Bürgenstock hotel complex, in Switzerland, which will be attended by delegations from ninety countries and fifty of them headed by their respective heads of State or Government.

There is no a priori forecast of any meeting between Sánchez and Milei at this summit, in which both will be present in the plenary sessions scheduled for both this Saturday and Sunday.

The question is whether this coincidence can lead to some protocol greeting of both in the midst of the diplomatic crisis between their two countries. A crisis in which Spain has withdrawn its ambassador in Buenos Aires after the words spoken by the Argentine president at an event organized by Vox in Madrid in which he described Sánchez as “class of people screwed to power” and called his wife, Begoña Gómez, “corrupt.”

During a meeting of UN Security Council, Geng Shuangdeputy representative of China, urged Ukraine and Russia to start peace negotiations as soon as possible.

Shuang emphasized that “Guns can end a war, but they cannot bring lasting peace“, according to the newspaper Kyiv Independent.

The meeting addressed possible ways to reach a ceasefire and stop hostilities in the conflict that has been ongoing for years. Shuang asked the parties involved to demonstrate political willcome together and start peace talks to achieve a ceasefire and stop military actions.

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has maintained a firm stance on the conditions for negotiating. He stated that Russia would only be willing to talk if Ukraine renounces joining the NATO and withdraws its forces from the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, claimed by Moscow. However, Ukrainian authorities have insisted that their territorial integrity is not negotiable.

The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz believes that the Russian president, Vladimir Putinis “nervous” about the Ukrainian peace initiative that brings together representatives from some 90 countries this weekend in the Swiss town of Lucerne (center), according to the head of the German Government.

In an interview broadcast this Saturday on private television NTVScholz said that “Putin looks nervous” to the peace conference organized by the country of Volodimir Zelensky, an initiative that the German chancellor sees as an opportunity.

According to the chancellor, the summit should serve to talk about different issues that will be on the agenda, such as the question of peace that “makes sense for Ukraine, that respects its integrity and sovereignty.”

However, for him, the meeting in Switzerland this Saturday and Sunday will be the basis for another meeting where “more steps” towards peace are taken.

He Swiss Governmenthost this weekend of the Ukraine Peace Summithopes that this meeting of world leaders “serves to build trust and the first steps towards a path to peace”, although he acknowledged that it will not be an easy task.

“We will try to launch a peace process, something not easy but necessary after two years of war and thousands of deaths“, highlighted in a message prior to the summit, the Swiss Foreign Minister, Ignazio Cassiswho is already at the Bürgenstock luxury hotel complex where the summit will take place.

The Swiss president, Viola Amherdand his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyco-organizers of this meeting in which 92 governments at different levels participate, also arrived at the summit site on Friday by helicopter, and will receive another 55 heads of Government and State this Saturday.

As the Swiss president indicated in the same message, having managed to attract such a high number of leaders is an example of the commitment of the international community with peace in Ukraine.

Most of the European countries allied to Ukraine and numerous Latin American countries are represented by their heads of State or Government, including France, Spain, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom or Polandalthough on the American side the delegation is led by Vice President Kamala Harris.

The big absentees are Russia, which was not invited, according to Switzerland, for showing a lack of interest in participating, and China, which chose not to be in Switzerland due to the Russian absence.

Other emerging countries such as Brazil, India or South Africa have also decided to bring low-level delegations, as well as countries close to Russia such as Turkey or Hungary.

Before the start of the summit, around 16:30 local time (14:30 GMT)Amherd and Zelensky will have a bilateral meeting and will give a message to the press.