Russia, which initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has dismissed the upcoming Lucerne event as a US-orchestrated scheme.
The foreign ministry in Bern clarified that Russia has not been invited to the summit, as it has repeatedly stated it will not participate unless Kyiv accepts its annexation of approximately 20 percent of Ukrainian territory.
Despite Switzerland’s openness to extending an invitation to Russia, the country has shown no interest in participating in the initial summit aimed at initiating a peace process.
Switzerland insists that Russia’s involvement is crucial for any peace process regarding Ukraine.
The attendance of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden remains unconfirmed, while it’s uncertain whether China, a key ally of Moscow, will attend.
China, which has refrained from condemning Russia’s attack on Ukraine, faces accusations of indirectly supporting the war through its strategic partnership with Moscow.
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Scheduled for June 15-16 at the luxury Burgenstock resort near Lucerne, the conference will feature participation from countries across continents, including members of the G7, G20, and BRICS group.
Additionally, the Vatican, the European Union, the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe have been invited.
The summit aims to last just over a day, during which participating states will contribute ideas and visions for achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
The talks will focus on promoting a common understanding of a possible framework for reaching this goal and defining a roadmap for involving both parties in a future peace process.
On the ground, Russia has made recent advances against Ukraine’s under-equipped forces ahead of the expected arrival of the bulk of US weapons to support Kyiv’s troops.
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