Who will be in the group photo from the Global Peace Summit?

An event that attracts the attention of the international community and European media is approaching – the global peace summit in Bürgenstock, Switzerland. The government in Bern talks somewhat modestly about “peace conference”, to which 160 governments and organizations are currently invited. Among them are members of the G7, G20, BRICS countries, numerous other countries from all continents, as well as the EU, three international organizations (the UN, the OSCE and the Council of Europe). For Switzerland, this is a matter of international image and reputation. Therefore, the federal president, Viola Amherd, is making every effort to ensure that the representation of the countries during the event in Bürgenstock is as large-scale as possible. It is known, in particular, about her visit to the Vatican and the conversation with Pope Francis, during which the pontiff received an invitation to the peace summit.

Hopes for the start of a peace process for Ukraine are connected with the summit, if everything is organized correctly in Bern.

However, certain problems are already emerging here. According to the Swiss publication Blick, the summit was deliberately planned for the day after the G-7 meeting in Italy. It was hoped that after her, the caravan of heads of state, headed by the US president, would immediately leave for Switzerland. However, the invitation of the Swiss Federal President Viola Amherd is rather vague – governments as a whole can feel invited, not just their leaders. Therefore, there is a possibility that the meeting will take place with the participation of foreign ministers, or only high-ranking advisers.

The German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung writes about the need to pay attention to the participation of states that have not openly opposed Russian aggression or are clearly sympathetic to Moscow. First of all, the so-called global south is on the list. Ukraine’s allies are also using their diplomatic leverage to lure China, India and Brazil to Bürgenstock. In particular, during his trip to China, Chancellor Olaf Scholz included a shortened one “peace formula” to points of discussion with President Xi Jinping. It is certain that countries such as India and Brazil will not be left out if China sends a delegation.

The German publication Tageschau asks the question about the participation of Russian representatives in the summit and, answering it, quotes the Minister of Foreign Affairs Kuleba:

“The goal conferences is not the involvement of Russia, but rather the unification of countries that have a common understanding of the steps to solve the problem. Then there will be communication with Russia, and Moscow can participate in the negotiations. Of course, it is true that the war cannot be ended without the participation of both sides.”

We can read the official Bern’s answer to this question on the website of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs:

“Russia is currently not invited. Switzerland has always been open to inviting Russia to this conference. However, Russia has stated several times – including publicly – that it is not interested in participating in this first conference. High-level conference in Switzerland is called to start the peace process. Switzerland is convinced that Russia should be involved in this process. The peace process is unthinkable without Russia”.

Catholic press agency Kathpress (Austria) informs on participation in the Vatican peace conference. However, he expresses doubts about the peace-making effect of the summit: “According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bern, Russia, which has been waging an aggressive war against Ukraine since February 2022, “currently not invited”.

Diplomats say that only one thing is important at the opening – a group photo in which as many countries as possible should be represented. Switzerland promises to inform about the actual number of participants of the summit closer to the event.

Another important issue of the summit is what exactly will be the subject of discussion. Official Kyiv originally sought to put it on the agenda “Peace Formulas” from ten points. It contains a demand for the complete withdrawal of Russia from Ukraine, cessation of hostilities, compensation for damages, punishment of the guilty and much more.

Given the scale of the summit, which will be attended by countries that are not Ukraine’s closest allies, the formula was decided to be shortened: negotiations should be conducted on nuclear security, humanitarian aspects, such as the return of abducted children and the safety of food transportation.

For our country, the summit means hope that the global diplomatic process launched in Bürgenstock will be able to develop its own dynamics if it starts successfully from a small point.