China was conspicuously absent from last weekend’s summit, with multiple Global South nations refusing to sign the final communique
The next conference on the Ukraine conflict will not take place in the West, according to Swiss Ambassador Gabriel Luechinger. The diplomat, who helped organize last weekend’s gathering at Switzerland’s Burgenstock Resort, stated that discussions with potential hosts are already underway.
Prior to the event, several countries declined to attend. China announced that it would not be sending representatives to Switzerland, arguing that the lack of Russian presence would make any peace efforts futile. This sentiment was echoed by several other nations.
Moscow had already declared in March that it would not attend, even if invited, because the conference would likely be based on Vladimir Zelensky’s ‘peace formula’, which Russia views as unrealistic and an ultimatum.
In an interview with Swiss broadcaster SRF on Monday, Luechinger said: “What is clear is that the next peace summit will not be in Europe, and will not take place in the West.” The diplomat revealed that several nations had been approached at the conference about potentially hosting the next summit.
“It is now up to them to decide,” he added. “In the next weeks, I think, things will start moving.”
When asked whether Saudi Arabia could host a meeting, Luechinger hinted that it could be an option, without elaborating further.
He also emphasized that “Russia should be integrated in the peace process in some way.”
While Ukraine has proclaimed the conference at the Burgenstock Resort a success, about a dozen countries that participated in the talks did not sign the final communique, including India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the UAE, Mexico, Thailand, Indonesia, Jordan, and Iraq.
The document did not include many of the key points of Kiev’s ‘peace formula’. It called for the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant to be transferred under Ukrainian control, as well as unrestricted access to ports in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, and the release of all prisoners of war.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Saturday that Moscow “wants to get together next time at a more substantive and promising event.”
Last Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined the conditions for a ceasefire, which include the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from all territories claimed by Moscow, as well as the renunciation of Kiev’s NATO aspirations.
The Ukrainian government and its Western backers have rejected the proposal, calling it an ultimatum.