Dozens of leaders gather in Switzerland at critical time for Ukraine

Leaders from Europe and other regions, representing developed and developing countries, convened in Switzerland on Saturday to discuss potential avenues for achieving lasting peace in Ukraine, though Russia and its key partner China did not participate.

The so-called peace summit at a resort overlooking Lake Lucerne comes at a critical time for Ukraine as Russia, which started a full-scale invasion of its neighboring country in February 2022, is ramping up its offensive.

In the run-up to the gathering, set to conclude Sunday with the release of a potential declaration, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a diplomatic push to boost attendance, traveling as far as Singapore and the Philippines.

Agreeing with him earlier this year to host a large, high-level conference in an attempt to initiate a peace process and lay the groundwork for future negotiations, the neutral Swiss government invited representatives from more than 160 countries and organizations.

On Friday, the Swiss government said a total of 100 countries and organizations have confirmed their participation. Some 50 countries, ranging from France, Germany and Japan to Argentina, Fiji and Somalia, are sending their leaders.

"We have succeeded in bringing back to the world the idea that joint efforts can stop war and establish a just peace," Zelenskyy said in his opening remarks of the gathering. "The summit represents all parts of the world, all continents (and) different nations, both geographically large and small."

Despite a strong plea from Zelenskyy, however, U.S. President Joe Biden opted not to join the talks, leaving for Los Angeles late Friday for his star-studded election campaign fundraiser after attending a Group of Seven summit in Italy.

Vice President Kamala Harris is representing the United States, along with Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

Among world powers, China and Russia did not send representatives to the peace summit, and Zelenskyy accused them of pressuring smaller countries to skip the event and dismiss his efforts.

Russia, which was not invited, has criticized the first high-level conference of its kind, asserting any peace talks without Moscow's participation or consideration of its interests are meaningless, while China continues to portray itself as a neutral actor in the Ukrainian crisis, although it has tacitly backed the Kremlin.

The Swiss government has suggested this is just the first in a series of meetings and acknowledged that the peace process will ultimately require the involvement of Russia.

Discussions at the inaugural summit at the Burgenstock resort in central Switzerland will largely be based on Ukraine's 10-point peace formula, presented by Zelenskyy to world leaders at the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia in November 2022.

Of the 10 points, Zelenskyy has said Ukraine wants a particular focus this time on nuclear safety, food security, the release of prisoners of war and the return of his country's children abducted by Russia.

The Swiss conference comes on the heels of the G7 summit in Fasano, southern Italy, where Biden and his counterparts from the group of the world's leading industrialized democracies offered strong and unified support for Ukraine in the presence of Zelenskyy as the war stretches into its third year.

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