By: Vibha Hareesh and Prachi Srivastava
Image Source: CNN, News Website
Introduction
As Russia continues its special military operation in Ukraine which began on the 22nd of February 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky organized a Peace Summit on the 15th and 16th of June in Buergenstock, Switzerland. This Peace Summit was organized to derive agreements that further mould the peacebuilding process in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Over 90 countries and organisations attended the summit, wherein Mr Zelensky voiced his hope and need for a peace agreement. However, Russia was not invited to the summit and President Zelensky reasoned this by stating “If Russia were interested in Peace, there would be no War”.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was based on the policy of revanchism. Ukraine was a part of the erstwhile Soviet Union, which later became independent, after the disintegration of the USSR [United Soviet Socialist Republic] in 1991. After Russia occupied Crimea in 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to annex Ukraine and integrate it into Russian territory. Whilst eastern Ukrainian regions like Donestsk, Luhansk, and Avdiivka are under Russian control, this process of Russian invasion of Ukraine, however, took longer than expected. Unlike Crimea, Ukraine proved to be much more difficult to take control of. Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and this special military operation initiated by Russia soon turned into a full-blown conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Outlining the Summit
The Russia-Ukraine conflict is continuing in the year 2024 despite the presence of sanctions put by the West against Russia. The Peace Summit thus aimed to lay down a roadmap towards peace in the conflicted region. The Chinese and the Brazilian delegations were not present at the summit, as they proclaimed that any such meeting should be attended by both Russia and Ukraine, the two important parties whose presence is extremely vital to deciding on a peace agreement. The two countries further insisted that Russia and Ukraine need to negotiate directly. Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, and Hakan Fidan, the Foreign Minister of Turkey, both expressed that the gathering in Burgenstock would have been more credible and result-oriented if Russia, the other party to the conflict was present to discuss peace. The summit was attended by delegates majorly from Europe, the United States of America and other Western allies, South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
The summit was an attempt to gauge how strong the international community's support for Ukraine would be, rather than just a peace conference. A joint declaration endorsing the territorial integrity of Ukraine and emphasizing that "dialogue between all parties is necessary to end" the conflict was signed by 80 of the 92 nations that participated at the summit.
Reiterating that the "territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states" are vital elements of a "comprehensive, just, and lasting" settlement of the Ukrainian Conflict. The summit's three main debate points were Nuclear Safety, Food Security, and the Humanitarian Dimension. According to the declaration, the use of nuclear energy and facilities must be safe, secure, protected, and environmentally sound. It further states that using or threatening to use nuclear weapons in the course of the continuing conflict with Ukraine is prohibited.
It further stated that there should be no weaponization of food security. Third-world nations who express interest in purchasing Ukrainian agricultural products should be freely able to do so. According to the communique, "continuous production and supply of food products is necessary for global food security." The statement said that attacks on commercial ships and civilian port facilities in the Black and Azov Seas were "unacceptable".
Finally, unconditional liberation of all prisoners of war is required. "All deported and unlawfully displaced Ukrainian children, as well as all other Ukrainian civilians who were unlawfully detained, must be returned to Ukraine," the declaration stated. Ukraine claims that during the conflict, Russian authorities had abducted 20,000 children.
On the Question of Support
In all, 80 delegations signed on to support the communique. India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, South Africa, Armenia, Colombia, the Vatican, Indonesia, Libya, Mexico, and Thailand, did not sign the final communiqué. Due to Russia's absence at the summit, New Delhi chose not to be associated with the joint communique, according to a statement made by Secretary (West) of India's Ministry of External Affairs, Pavan Kapoor. "All stakeholders and a sincere and practical engagement between the two parties to the conflict," he stated, are necessary for peace in Ukraine, according to India. South Africa’s reason for not backing the communique was the presence and participation of Israel in the conference, earlier accused by the United Nations-backed commission of committing war crimes against Palestinians.
It is thus imperative to note that the BRICS nations either did not attend the summit or refrained from signing the final document. Non-Aligned nations also chose not to sign the final declaration as most of them are dependent on Russia for Food, Fertilisers, and Fuel. Others chose to not attend the summit or sign the document as Russia was not invited to the summit, as for them the country’s presence was essential.
Russia may not have been invited to the peace summit, but Vladimir Putin laid down his conditions and vision for peace on the eve of the Peace Summit held in Switzerland. His peace plan mainly included Kyiv to capitulate, and hand over the regions that Moscow had annexed, but remained under Kyiv’s control. Ukraine immediately rejected this proposal and called for concrete action on Volodymyr Zelensky’s 3-pointer peace plan. The Ukrainian President is also in talks with nations around the globe to host a second peace conference, preferably hosted by a country in the Global South, wherein Russia will also be invited to participate and draw up an action plan for the peace and benefit of Russia, Ukraine and everyone else affected by the conflict.
Conclusion
The Ukraine Peace Summit serves as a reminder of the immense challenges in ending the war in Ukraine. Even while humanitarian issues are highlighted in the communiqué, achieving a ceasefire is still the most important task at hand. It will need innovative diplomacy and a willingness on the part of all sides to participate in sincere talks for further efforts to succeed. Prospective opportunities were also addressed at the conference. There is a broad international consensus opposing the war, as seen by the 80 countries that united to support Ukraine's territorial integrity and peaceful settlement. The Ukraine Peace Summit 2024 may not have delivered a definitive solution to the war in Ukraine. Nonetheless, it offered a forum for discussion, emphasized the desire for peace on a world scale, and presented a set of guidelines for a possible settlement. If this momentum turns into real action on the ground, it will determine the summit's actual impact. To resolve this tragedy peacefully, the world community must keep up its cooperative efforts.
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