Switzerland invites pope to global peace summit
Switzerland has invited Pope Francis to attend the upcoming global peace summit dedicated to ending the war in Ukraine, Swiss President Viola Amherd said on May 5.
Switzerland has invited Pope Francis to attend the upcoming global peace summit dedicated to ending the war in Ukraine, Swiss President Viola Amherd said on May 5.
Ukraine is open to considering an all-for-all prisoner of war (POW) exchange, and will discuss the idea at the upcoming Peace Summit in Switzerland in June, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 3.
Participants of the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland will formulate a common negotiating position and submit it to Russia, presidential spokesperson Sergii Nykyforov said on May 3, according to Deutsche Welle.
"That is why, for our part, we will continue to be concerned about Zelensky having everything he needs," U.S. national security spokesperson John Kirby said.
While Russia has not been invited to the summit, Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak said that China’s attendance would be very important, and that Ukraine is making every effort to engage Chinese delegates in participating in the event.
Ukraine's peace summit in Switzerland will be held on June 15-16, based on an agreement between Kyiv and Bern, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 2.
The final list of countries attending the Qatar meeting has not been finalized but Russia has not been invited and China's participation remains unclear, Bloomberg said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 24 that Ukraine has precise intelligence information that Russia is preparing to disrupt a global peace summit set to take place in Switzerland in June.
French President Emmanuel Macron, during his visit to the defense enterprise near Bordeaux, said that France will participate in the global peace summit, Ukrinform reported on April 12.
Russia has to participate in a global peace summit "sooner or later," even if it does not attend its first meeting, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said in Bern, as reported by the Associated Press (AP) on April 10.
The Swiss government confirmed on April 10 that it would host a global peace summit on Russia's war against Ukraine in June at the Burgenstock resort in the canton of Nidwalden.