Western powers and their allies at a summit in Switzerland denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on June 16, but they failed to persuade major nonaligned states to join their final statement, and no country came forward to host a sequel.
More than 90 countries attended the two-day talks at a Swiss Alpine resort at the behest of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, billed as a “peace summit” even though Moscow was not invited.
Russia ridiculed the event from afar. A decision by China to stay away all but assured that the summit would fail to achieve Ukraine’s goal of persuading major countries from the Global South to join in isolating Russia.
Brazil attended only as an “observer.” And in the end, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and South Africa all withheld their signatures from the summit communique, even though some contentious issues were omitted in the hope of drawing wider support.
The front lines in Ukraine have barely moved since the end of 2022, despite tens of thousands of dead on both sides in relentless trench warfare, the bloodiest fighting in Europe since World War II.
In her closing remarks, Swiss President Viola Amherd warned that the “road ahead is long and challenging.” (Reuters)
毎週届く！
