A major peace summit held in Switzerland concluded with a plea for lasting peace in Ukraine but key powers, including India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates, refused to sign a joint communique agreed upon by over 80 countries and international organizations. The document reaffirmed the commitment of signatories to respecting Ukraine's territorial integrity and political independence. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the importance of supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity for lasting peace, while US Vice President Kamala Harris announced a $1.5 billion aid package for humanitarian expenditures and infrastructure rebuilding in Ukraine.
The summit, which was attended by leaders from Argentina, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland , Sweden and the United Kingdom among others,
also saw Russia restate its peace plan which calls for Ukrainian troops withdrawal from occupied territories and abandoning NATO bid before negotiations. However,
the Kremlin's terms are unlikely to be agreed upon by Ukraine.
Despite the strong showing of Western democracies, questions were raised about just how much could be accomplished given that neither Russia nor China attended the summit.
The communique published on Sunday included agreements on allowing Ukraine to have its own nuclear power plants, refraining from using or threatening nuclear weapons, and returning unlawfully displaced children and civilians to Ukraine. The sides also agreed on promoting prisoner exchanges and ensuring nuclear safety.
President Zelensky told journalists that Kyiv would hold peace talks with Russia tomorrow if Moscow pulls out of all Ukrainian territory.