Russia has not been invited to the peace conference planned to be held in Switzerland on June 15-16, 2024. Despite this, the Office of the President of Ukraine has announced that 107 countries and organizations will participate in the Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland.[1] Although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insisted on the attendance of U.S. President Joe Biden at the summit, it has been announced that Vice President Kamala Harris will attend instead. Besides the United States, many European countries are expected to attend the summit, and there is keen interest in whether China will attend.
China, which has consistently advocated for peace talks to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, has been calling for an international peace conference recognized by both Russia and Ukraine, with equal participation from all parties. Since Russia has not been invited to the conference in Switzerland, China is not expected to attend the summit.
Ukraine is striving to increase the number of countries participating in the peace summit in Switzerland. In this regard, Zelensky met with foreign leaders at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 2, 2024, and engaged in diplomacy to broaden participation in the summit in Switzerland.
Expressing regret over not being able to meet with the Chinese delegation in Singapore and stating that Beijing would not be represented in Switzerland, Zelensky said, “Unfortunately, China is making significant efforts to prevent countries from attending the peace summit.”.[2] Zelensky also mentioned that China’s support for Russia would prolong the war.[3] Beijing, however, has denied these accusations.
Despite three years having passed since the start of the war in Ukraine, the crisis remains a significant concern for governments in Southeast Asia. Zelensky thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines for their participation in the peace summit, describing this move as “an important message” towards achieving peace.[4] Additionally, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced on June 4, 2024, that they would send representatives to the peace summit in Switzerland.
It has been announced that the President of East Timor, Jose Ramos-Horta, will also attend the peace summit planned to be held in Switzerland. Besides the Philippines, Singapore, and East Timor, Thailand is also stated to participate in this summit. Thailand is expected to be represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Russ Jalichandra at the summit.[5]
Indonesia is likely to attend the summit, although it has not yet committed. The participation of Cambodia, Brunei, and Malaysia remains uncertain.[6] On the other hand, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos, which have significant ties with Russia, are unlikely to attend the meeting in Switzerland.
The number of countries not attending the summit in Switzerland is also increasing. In this context, it is anticipated that Pakistan will likely not attend the meeting or send a symbolic representative to maintain its “neutrality”.[7]Similarly, India has announced that it will only send a symbolic representative. Brazil, like India, is expected to send a low-level delegation to the meeting.
Saudi Arabia has also announced that it will not attend the peace summit. Meanwhile, there is still uncertainty regarding Hungary’s participation.
It could be argued that countries from the Global South will show low participation or may not attend the summit in Switzerland. This is primarily due to the absence of representation from Russia at the summit. World countries support a fair, equally participatory, and transparent process in resolving such international crises. The summit, where Ukraine’s 10-point peace plan will be highlighted, is seen as part of efforts to increase consolidation within the Western world.
Based on the 12-point proposal China unveiled to the public in February 2023 regarding the crisis in Ukraine, which emphasized the establishment of the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, it cannot be said that China is entirely supportive of Russia. In fact, during a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Beijing on April 16, 2024, Xi Jinping announced four new principles for resolving the crisis in Ukraine.[8] Within this context, Xi called for “moving away from selfish interests to restore peace and stability, calming the conflict, avoiding moves that escalate tension, and minimizing the impact on the world economy”.[9]
Lastly, it’s important to emphasize that the summit in Switzerland is turning into a political solidarity platform to bolster the West’s support for Ukraine, rather than just being a part of peace efforts. If Russia is absent from such a conference, global participation will likely be limited or symbolic, weakening hopes for a resolution. This is a primary concern and effort for China as well. The organization of an internationally recognized peace summit, accepted by wide circles worldwide, would accelerate the resolution of the crisis. In short, there is a need for an international peace summit that includes Russia. Otherwise, participation from the Global South, where China and Russia hold influence, will likely remain limited at the summit in Switzerland, greatly impacting its success.
[1] “107 Countries Confirm Participation in Swiss Peace Summit”, United 24 Media, https://united24media.com/latest-news/107-countries-confirm-participation-in-swiss-peace-summit-573, (Date of Access: 06.06.2024).
[2] “Ukrainian President Zelenskyy accused China of ‘working hard’ to disrupt peace summit in Switzerland”, AA, https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/ukrainian-president-zelenskyy-accused-china-of-working-hard-to-disrupt-peace-summit-in-switzerland/3237880, (Date of Access: 06.06.2024).
[3] Ibid.
[4] “Ukraine’s Zelenskiy thanks Marcos for Philippine participation in peace summit”, Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/ukraines-zelenskiy-philippines-meet-with-marcos-2024-06-03/, Date of Access: 06.06.2024).
[5] “How Many Southeast Asian Countries Will Attend the Ukraine Peace Summit?”, Fulcrum, https://fulcrum.sg/how-many-southeast-asian-countries-will-attend-the-ukraine-peace-summit/, (Date of Access: 06.06.2024).
[6] Ibid.
[7] “Pakistan, Brazil pull out of Ukraine’s Swiss peace summit”, Intelli News, https://www.intellinews.com/pakistan-brazil-pull-out-of-ukraine-s-swiss-peace-summit-328244/, (Date of Access: 06.06.2024).
[8] “Xi puts forth four principles to resolve Ukraine crisis”, The State Council-PRC, https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202404/16/content_WS661e4336c6d0868f4e8e61fa.html, (Date of Access: 15.05.2024).
[9] Ibid.
