What does Zelenskiy hope to gain from Ukraine summit?
Reuters Videos
STORY: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is meeting world leaders for a summit this weekend. :: Ukrainian Military Handout He hopes to explore ways to end his country's war with Russia - the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two. Who is attending, and what will be the likely outcome of the talks? :: What is the purpose of the summit? Zelenskiy will use the event in the Swiss mountaintop resort of Buergenstock to build support for Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion in three key areas: Food security, nuclear safety and the release of all prisoners and deportees. On the battlefield, the gathering comes at a difficult time for Ukraine. Russian troops, who now control around 18% of Ukrainian territory, are advancing in the east. :: 3rd Assault Brigade With that, and the entrenched differences between Russia and Ukraine, the summit will likely shy away from territorial issues. Instead, focusing on parts of Zelenskiy's plan that are broad enough to be palatable to most, if not all, participants. Orysia Lutsevych, a Chatham House expert on both Ukraine and Russia. "I think we have to understand that this summit is not a place and was not originally envisaged as a platform for negotiated settlement of this war. Russia is not willing to negotiate at this point. It feels it has an upper hand on the battlefield. So it it was an endeavor by Kyiv to actually, kind of unite the world in support for its, war-ending strategy, to present it as a global issue and to count friends." :: Who is going? Around 90 states and organizations have confirmed their participation at the talks, organized by Bern at Ukraine's behest. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, French President Emmanuel Macron and the leaders of Germany, Italy, Britain, Canada and Japan are among those set to attend the June 15-16 meeting. Russia isn't invited. Kyiv had hoped to take steps towards isolating Russia by winning over countries that have friendlier ties with Moscow. India, which has helped Moscow survive the shock of economic sanctions, is expected to send a delegation. And Turkey and Hungary, who maintain cordial ties with Moscow, will be represented. But the main thorn in Kyiv's side is China, a close ally of Russia's. Beijing said it would not attend the summit, describing the attendance of both warring sides as a prerequisite for any substantive peace conference. :: What are the likely outcomes? The question many will be asking is whether the Swiss summit will offer any tangible progress towards ending the war in Ukraine. Switzerland wants the talks to pave the way for a "future peace process," in which Russia takes part. Ukraine has said Moscow could be invited to a future summit - on Kyiv's terms. Zelenskiy has acknowledged the challenge of maintaining international support as the war, now well into its third year, grinds on. One political scientist told Reuters that while Russian President Vladimir Putin is still in power, "it will be difficult" to reach a peaceful solution. :: What has Russia's reaction been? Russia has described the idea of a summit to which it is not invited as "futile". Moscow frames its "special military operation" in Ukraine as part of a broader struggle with the West - which it says wants to bring Russia to its knees. Kyiv and the West says this is nonsense, accusing Russia of waging an illegal war of conquest. Although Switzerland says Russia must be part of the peace process, it said Moscow was not invited because it had no interest in attending. Bern says the talks should "define a roadmap" on how to involve Russia and Ukraine in the future.
3 hours ago
