Dozens of countries at the Summit on Peace in Ukraine have declared that Kyiv’s “territorial integrity” should be respected, as they urged “dialogue between all parties” to find a lasting settlement in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
In a final communique issued at the end of a major two-day diplomatic summit in Switzerland on Sunday, the vast majority of countries represented also backed a call for the full exchange of captured soldiers and the return of deported Ukrainian children.
“We believe that reaching peace requires the involvement of and dialogue between all parties,” the document stated.
In his closing speech on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he hopes the “results” will be achieved “as soon as possible”.
“We’ll prove to everyone in the world that the UN Charter can be restored to full effectiveness,” he said.
He later added that Russia was “not ready for a just peace”.
“Russia can start negotiations with us even tomorrow without waiting for anything – if they leave our legal territories,” Zelenskyy said.
Not all attendees backed the summit’s closing document, with Saudi Arabia, India, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates among those not included in a list of supporting states displayed on screens at the summit.
Brazil, which was listed as an “observer” on the list of attendees, also did not feature as a signatory.
The final document also reaffirmed “the principles of sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of all states, including Ukraine, within their internationally recognised borders.”
More than 90 countries had gathered in the Swiss resort of Burgenstock for the summit, dedicated to discussing Kyiv’s proposals for a route out of the conflict.
Moscow was not invited and has rejected the summit as “absurd” and pointless.
Kyiv had worked hard to secure attendance from countries that maintain warm relations with Russia.
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