The famous Swiss resort town of Davos is the setting for a crucial meeting of global security advisers, convened to discuss a peace formula for Ukraine.
The meeting on January 14, which took place just ahead of the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, underscored the international resolve to address one of the most pressing security issues of our time: the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
A 10-point peace proposal put forward by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was the focus of discussions involving 83 delegations representing countries and international organizations, including 18 from Asia and 12 from Africa, Bloomberg reported, citing the European Union. Russia was not invited, and Moscow’s most important ally, China, did not attend.
However, the national security advisory meeting ended in Davos without any clear path forward, like three previous similar meetings in Copenhagen (Denmark), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and Malta in 2023.
Efforts to dispel war fatigue
At a press conference after the conference on January 14, Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak said Ukraine was not being pressured by its partners to discuss ceding territory to Russia in exchange for peace, nearly two years after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a military campaign in the Eastern European country.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said returning to the 1991 borders remained Ukraine’s strategic goal. That would include Crimea, the peninsula Russia annexed in 2014.
Overall, Ukraine aims to use the annual gathering of political and business leaders in Davos – the World Economic Forum Davos, which runs from January 15 to 19 – to renew international support and attention for Kiev’s fight against Moscow. Ukrainian officials are trying to dispel the war fatigue felt by some of its allies.
Andriy Yermak (left), head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, and Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, attend the fourth meeting of the National Security Advisers (NSA) on the peace formula for Ukraine, in Davos, Switzerland, January 14, 2024. Photo: The Guardian
More than 50 journalists waited anxiously until the last minute to find out where the press conference would be held, given the tight security surrounding the peace talks. The high level of security was also felt on the streets, with a heavy police and military presence. The airspace over Davos has been closed since January 12.
Continuing diplomatic efforts, on January 15, Ukrainian President Zelensky will travel to the capital Bern to meet with the heads of both houses of the Swiss Parliament, Swiss President Viola Amherd and other senior leaders of the Alpine country.
On January 16, Mr. Zelensky will travel to Davos for the World Economic Forum. The Ukrainian delegation will also hold roundtable discussions with investors and CEOs, focusing on the country’s post-war reconstruction and the use of frozen Russian assets.
Key person absent
Co-chairing the Ukraine peace conference in Davos on January 14 alongside Mr Yermak, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said there was no alternative to negotiations “that affect the fate of the planet”.
“The Ukrainian people desperately need peace after nearly two years of fighting. We must do everything we can to help Ukraine end this war,” Mr. Cassis said.
Both Mr. Yermak and Mr. Cassis stressed that a sign of the success of the Davos peace talks was the growing number of countries participating. In addition to national security advisers from the United States and several European countries, there were representatives from Argentina and the BRICS members Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa.
According to Foreign Minister Cassis, having these countries involved is crucial to help facilitate contacts with Russia and find “creative ways out of this war.” Ukraine is now planning similar conferences in Latin America and Africa.
The Ukrainian delegation attends a press conference after an international conference in Davos to discuss a peace formula for Ukraine, January 14, 2024. Photo: Daily News Record
The key absentee from the talks on the Ukrainian peace formula is China, which has shown strong support for Russia. Yermak pointed out that Beijing has sent a special envoy to Kiev and was represented at the previous talks in Jeddah.
“China is an important and influential country,” Yermak said. “We will try to involve China.” There was no confirmation whether President Zelensky and Chinese Premier Li Qiang would meet at the WEF in Davos this week.
At the press conference, Mr. Cassis said that such talks were far from ending the fighting. He acknowledged that there could be no peace without Russia at the negotiating table. “One way or another, Russia will have to be involved. There will be no peace without Russia’s word,” he said.
Moscow has dismissed the Ukraine peace formula as absurd because it does not include Russia's participation, according to Reuters.
However, the Swiss foreign minister made it clear that the goal of the talks was not to please Russia but to create a common understanding between the countries on the 10-point peace plan and see “when and how we can convince Russia to join” .
Minh Duc (According to Bloomberg, Swiss Info, DW)
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