In anticipation of significant political discussions in Switzerland over the weekend, Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, communicated to German parliament members, stating Kyiv’s determination to resolve their ongoing conflict with Russia, however, only under their conditions. Zelenskiy emphasised upon the necessity to oppose Russia’s efforts to drive a wedge within Ukraine, asserting that German parliament members, more than anyone else, should be able to grasp the severity of this situation based on their past experiences with a divided Germany.
In his inaugural address to the Bundestag, a few steps away from erstwhile Berlin Wall’s path, the Ukrainian president drew an applause for his spirited performance and also showed gratitude towards Germany for supplying military and humanitarian assistance, which recently included an additional Patriot missile defence system.
Despite this, Zelenskiy stressed that deeming the war as eternal and Putin’s reign as never-ending were delusions. He pointed out that after a long period of 839 days of facing Russia’s violent offensive, Ukraine is now even more resolute to combat.
While nearly all representatives from extreme right-wing Alternative für Deutschland and the radical left BSW opted not to attend the speech, the liberal Free Democratic Party, a member of Berlin’s governing consortium, inferred that BSW, established five months prior, had successfully become Putin’s second supporter in Germany, negating critical reflection.
At a fundraising conference in Berlin earlier, attended by about 2000 delegates from over 60 nations, Zelenskiy held Russia accountable for employing energy as a strategic tool for destruction, demolishing most thermal power producing and a substantial portion of hydro generating facilities.
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, announced that the EU has managed to pool almost €500 million for the reconstruction of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. In addition to this, the EU will provide Ukraine with 1,000 generators and close to 8,000 solar panels. She also pledged support for equity investments in Ukraine, which led chancellor Olaf Scholz to encourage private investors to invest now to gain an advantageous position in post-war Ukraine. Both von der Leyen and Scholz reaffirmed their belief in Ukraine’s aspirations to join the EU.
Over the weekend, a meeting will take place on Bürgenstock hill, close to the Swiss city of Lucerne, with representatives from 90 nations. Notably, Russia will not be in attendance. The meeting, set up at the behest of Ukraine, had an invitation policy that only included nations who acknowledge and respect Ukraine’s sovereignty. The so-called “peace summit” aims to discuss aspects, such as nuclear and food security, along with shipping and humanitarian issues related to the war in Ukraine.
Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis stated that although Russia was considered to join the conference, Moscow repeatedly expressed its disinterest in participating. Some key nations likely to be absent from the conference include China and Saudi Arabia. Following the meeting in Switzerland, a second summit is expected to take place in Riyadh in the coming months, which Russian representatives are likely to attend.