On May 26, Zelensky called on the leaders of the U.S., Joe Biden, and China, Xi Jinping, to "show their leadership in advancing the peace," participating personally in the upcoming summit.
"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin can fight for as long as it takes, but Putin is also ready for a ceasefire – to freeze the war," a senior Russian source who has worked with him told the news outlet on condition of anonymity.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s five-year term as Ukraine’s president expired on May 20. For most Ukrainian citizens, including the country’s constitutionalists, the path forward is clear: Zelensky should continue as president until martial law in Ukraine ends and new elections can take place. But critics argue that Zelensky and
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not yet confirmed his own attendance. "The level of participation will depend on timing, logistics, and parallel commitments," Modi said.
Some 160 national delegations were invited to the peace summit, and at least 50 countries have confirmed their participation.
"We're working intensively on the diplomatic front to convince those who haven't yet announced their participation," Nicolas Bideau, head of communications at the Swiss Foreign Ministry, told Swiss public radio RTS.
The comments follow reporting by the Sunday Times that U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron had allegedly personally pitched a peace plan to presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Russia is intent on pushing this unsubstantiated narrative because it wants to "shift the blame for the war...to Ukraine."
David Cameron met Donald Trump at the latter's Florida residence in early April, seeking to convince the likely Republican nominee for the November 2024 presidential vote of the need to continue supporting Kyiv.
"The First Peace Summit for Ukraine is in June — and Canada will be there," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on X. "I look forward to joining other world leaders to advance our shared goal of just and lasting peace for Ukraine."
"Let's talk about a ceasefire, about peace scenarios, let's mobilize diplomacy and approach weapons as a last resort," Slovak President-elect Peter Pellegrini said without elaborating on concrete steps.
The comments indicated a change of heart from Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, who said in November 2023 that the "time is not yet ripe" for ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine.
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.
"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.
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.
Key developments on April 6-7: * Prosecutor General's Office: Russian soldiers kill 3 Ukrainian POWs * Trump reportedly wants Ukraine to cede Crimea, Donbas to Russia * Russia lost 7 aircraft in Ukraine's April 5 attack on air base, source says * Zelensky says Kharkiv is prepared for a potential Russian offensive * North Korea’
Following an inconsistent start, France, under the leadership of the increasingly outspoken President Emmanuel Macron, has become one of Ukraine's strongest supporters.
"The longer the war goes on, the more territory Russia will gain until they hit the Dnipro, which is tough to overcome. However, if the war lasts long enough, Odesa will fall too," Elon Musk said on X.
The liberation of Ukraine's territories occupied by Moscow after a full-scale invasion in February 2022 could push Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with CBS News published on March 28.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has dismissed Ukraine’s peace plan, saying it is pointless to ask for Moscow to withdraw its troops from areas it currently occupies.
Over two years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the mood among Ukraine’s supporters is dropping. There are several reasons for this, including Ukraine’s unsuccessful counteroffensive last year, the replacement of the popular Valerii Zaluzhnyi as commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, tension among Ukraine’s leadership,
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is expected to visit India later this month, marking his first trip to the country, The Hindu reported on March 19, citing an undisclosed diplomatic source.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in France this May, Politico reported on March 18. This would be the Chinese leader's first visit to Europe since the pandemic.
President Volodymyr Zelensky held a call with Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto on March 18, after the ex-general claimed victory in the election on Feb. 14.
China is considering taking part in talks on Ukraine's peace formula in the coming months, Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland Wang Shihting told Swiss newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung on March 18.
"The Kremlin has presented its list of conditions that it as an aggressor has no right to put forward," Czech President Petr Pavel said on March 16.
Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, suggested in February that representatives from Russia might be invited to the scheduled talks.
Many critics of Western support for Ukraine have claimed that providing arms to Kyiv "unnecessarily prolongs the war," alleging that peace would come faster if the weapons stopped flowing. Ukrainian officials have dismissed this idea, arguing that such a step would only hasten Russian occupation of the country.
The first condition for peace in Ukraine is for Russia to cease its hostilities, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, said on March 11.
