While the stunning Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland brings back the cheerful memory of the marriage between Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer 70 years ago, the same cannot be said for Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The Swiss mountainside venue is hosting a significant high-security summit, with the aim of establishing a “comprehensive, just, and everlasting peace” after 28 months of brutal war.
The summit was prompted a year ago when Zelenskiy made a video request to Swiss Members of Parliament. Ignazio Cassis, the Swiss foreign minister, recently recognised an unresolved issue regarding the guest list, which was only settled when Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, assured him that Moscow would not be attending. This allowed Switzerland to leave out Russia from the invitation list, ensuring Ukraine’s participation.
Casis responded to queries about hosting peace discussions without one of the warring parties present. He argued that the alternative was inaction, which Switzerland refused to consider. The meeting, now titled “talks on peace”, will concentrate on topics including nuclear energy security, the security of food and grain exports, and prisoners of war. Certain delegations anticipate a final proclamation emphasising that the invasion and occupation by Russia breach international law.
Switzerland’s federal president, Viola Amherd, sees the meeting at Bürgenstock as establishing a foundation for possible future talks. The Bürgenstock resort holds a history of hosting such discussions, including a failed attempt at reconciling Cyprus by the UN in 2004, and the sealing of a peace agreement in 2002 that led to the independent state of South Sudan in 2011.
Bürgenstock, a gathering that Moscow dismisses as trivial, has sparked significant engagement from the Russian media, some even dubbing it a gathering of satanists.
Swiss defense minister Amherd described the extreme misinformation associated with the event as having minimal connection to the truth.
Anticipating massive cyber threats, Swiss coordinators claim to be prepared and have identified a string of false news stories, reportedly from popular news outlets, discussing exhaustion over Western assistance for Ukraine.
However, the reality seems to contradict this, with Zelenskiy arriving at Bürgenstock this week, his confidence bolstered by a fundraisers meeting in Berlin, recent arms shipments from Germany, financial aid from the G7 in Bari, and a decade-long mutual security agreement with the US.
In terms of his agenda for the Bürgenstock meeting, Zelenskiy aims to maintain control of the situation, particularly in relation to Russia. He declared that Russia asserted their intentions on the day they launched a full-scale invasion, their objective being to occupy Ukraine.
Now occupying nearly a fifth of Ukraine, Russia continues to make advances. In a speech to the Bundestag on Tuesday, Zelenskiy insistently expressed his openness to negotiation and ceasefire – but only on Ukraine’s conditions.
These include a complete withdrawal of Russian soldiers from all of Ukraine to its pre-1991 borders, including Crimea.
Despite it being the eve of the Bürgenstock meeting, the motives behind the gathering and the final guest list remained unclear.
Confirmed attendees include leaders from Ukraine’s Western allies: France, Germany, UK, Italy, Canada, and Japan. Also expected to attend are the Taoiseach Simon Harris and lower rank delegations from countries that still hold economic connections with Russia, including India, Turkey and Hungary.
However, US President Joe Biden will miss Bürgenstock, choosing to attend a local political fundraiser instead. In his stead, Vice President Kamala Harris will represent the United States.
Regrettably, attempts over several months to appeal to China, who has a close relationship with Putin, proved unsuccessful for Ukraine. China denies discouraging other nations from participating at the request of Russia and asserts its absence is due to the fact that discussions can’t fully proceed without both conflicting parties being present.
As Beijing advocates for its own peace proposal, which is supported by Brazil and has also received backing in Moscow, the Ukrainian leader hasn’t abandoned hope in the Global South. Following discussions in Jeddah earlier this week, Zelenskiy commended the “dynamic and fruitful” efforts made by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman towards a “swift return to peace.”
Anticipation is growing that the meeting in Bürgenstock will set the stage for another summit soon in Saudi Arabia. Andriy Yermak, a key aide to Zelenskiy, stated this week: “We’re exploring the potential for a second meeting that will include a representative from Russia.”