During a summit on peace in Ukraine attended by more than 90 countries, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he would present a proposed plan to Moscow for ending the war, once it had been agreed upon by the international community. Zelensky emphasized the importance of working together to achieve a just and lasting peace with Russia, in the hopes that a second peace summit could be convened to finalize the end of the war. However, Zelensky did not mention whether he would be willing to engage in direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prior to the summit, Putin outlined his own demands for ending the conflict, including Ukraine withdrawing its troops from the south and east of the country and renouncing its ambitions to join NATO, conditions which were dismissed by Zelensky as tantamount to surrender.
At the peace summit, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris criticized Putin’s demands, stating that he was not calling for negotiations but rather for the surrender of Ukraine. Western leaders expressed their support for Ukraine and stressed the importance of reaching a settlement on terms laid out by Kyiv. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned that a ceasefire without serious negotiations and a roadmap towards lasting peace would only serve to legitimize Russia’s illegal land grab, while European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen cautioned that freezing the conflict with foreign troops occupying Ukrainian territory would only lead to future wars of aggression. Some countries outside of Ukraine’s traditional partners called for a more balanced approach that would involve giving Russia a voice in the peace process and criticized certain Western sanctions targeting Moscow.
The need for Ukraine to be prepared for a difficult compromise in order to end the conflict was emphasized by Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, who spoke at the summit. Meanwhile, Kenya’s President William Ruto condemned the G7’s deal to offer Ukraine a $50 billion loan secured against profits of frozen Russian assets, calling it an unlawful unilateral appropriation of Russian assets. Ruto described Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a horrifying spectacle of carnage and devastation. Despite differing opinions on how to approach the conflict, the international community at the summit expressed a united commitment to supporting Ukraine and working towards a resolution that would bring about a just and lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.
In conclusion, the summit on peace in Ukraine saw Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposing a plan to end the war with Russia once agreed upon by the international community. The summit highlighted the need for a just and lasting peace in the region, with Western leaders expressing support for Ukraine and calling for a resolution on Kyiv’s terms. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demands for ending the conflict were dismissed by Zelensky, who saw them as a call for surrender. Some attendees stressed the importance of incorporating Russia into the peace process while others criticized certain Western sanctions targeting Moscow. The international community expressed a commitment to supporting Ukraine in achieving a resolution that would bring about lasting peace in the region.
