On June 15-16, the Global Peace Summit was held in Switzerland. Representatives from over 90 countries attended, including 57 leaders and eight international organizations. A joint communiqué was signed by 80 states and four organizations. Notably, Thailand, India, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates did not sign the communiqué. China was also absent from the summit.
The communiqué outlined three main points: the ZNPP should operate under the control of Ukraine and the IAEA; free and safe commercial navigation in the Black and Azov Seas should be ensured; and all prisoners should be exchanged, with all deported Ukrainian children returned. What is the significance of the peace summit, and what further steps should be taken?
Oleksandr Krayev, an expert at the Foreign Policy Council «Ukrainian Prism,» spoke about this on Hromadske Radio:
«The fact that we have launched this format is the key result. The peace formula should be valuable not just for one summit but as a continuously operating format, with working groups actively engaged in their areas and expanding as planned. The absence of China and the refusal of India and key Global South players to sign the communiqué indicates, to put it mildly, that we did not achieve all our goals.»
According to Krayev, implementing the communiqué’s points depends on the signatory countries’ willingness to work on them. To achieve real results and influence Russia, these states must engage with international legal institutions, courts, influence Russia through sanctions, and communicate bilaterally.
«Documents like this communiqué are implemented only to the extent that the signatory states are ready to act. If all the countries that signed the final document are prepared to pressure Russia, demand the liberation of the ZNPP, release prisoners, and return our children, and if they support the Ukrainian army, then we can hope for practical implementation. But generally, a communiqué is an expression of what was discussed and where common ground was found», — the expert explains.
Krayev argues that China’s participation in the summit would represent the majority of the Global South. China could exert pressure on Russia and have a real impact on the Kremlin.
«China’s participation is crucial, unlike many other signatories. Therefore, its absence is a significant setback. We need to work with the Americans to engage China. It is realistic that Russia asked China to refrain from participating.
However, Russia’s ‘peace offer,’ essentially Putin’s ultimatum, contradicts the peace formula China once proposed. This situation shows China’s caution regarding Russia’s requests», — Krayev said.
The next peace summit is expected in the fall. The Swiss foreign minister indicated that it could be held before the US presidential election in November.
According to Kraev, this timing is important because Donald Trump’s positions and statements are becoming more radical and aggressive. He aims to end the Russian-Ukrainian war by any means, which may also affect Israel and Taiwan, the expert believes.
«Therefore, the situation is really threatening. There are increasing calls from Trump’s supporters to take drastic actions if he doesn’t win the election. The US presidential election is potentially one of the most critical events in recent years. Thus, any significant international initiative should be held before the election to avoid the crisis period of the democratic world’s leader.
To ensure success, we must continue our efforts. The most important task now is to involve leading Global South countries, such as Saudi Arabia, India, and, if possible, China. Only then will the second summit have practical value», — the expert says.
