Swiss President Viola Amherd and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed delegations from 100 countries and organizations, including 57 heads of state and government to the summit in the Bürgenstock resort overlooking Lake Lucerne.
In his opening remarks Zelensky said that every country in the world wants its security guaranteed, wants the integrity of its territory, sovereignty and equality of its people to be respected and wants to live without the fear of bloody crisis, deportations and ecocide.
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He said his plan and the purpose of the peace summit was to encourage all the world’s powers of the world to think about how to bring an end to the war. He said that the
summit “can be the first step for a fair end to the war against Ukraine.” He asked for all those participating to agree an action plan that can be put to Russia so that “at the second peace summit we can record the real end of the war.”
The real work will begin on Sunday with working groups formed to discuss the three main topics of: nuclear security and safety, freedom of shipping and food safety and security, and humanitarian aspects including the release of all prisoners and the return of children deported to Russia.
Saturday’s plenary session gave attendees the opportunity to make opening statements, during which many took the opportunity to lay their cards on the table. Here is a summary of some of those:
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Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission
“Allies should support a complete, just and lasting peace for Ukraine, that will restore Ukrainian sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of all borders. The sovereignty of all states is at stake. Freezing the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine is ‘not an answer’, only a ‘recipe’ for future wars.”
US Vice President, Kamala Harris
“Yesterday, Putin put forward proposals to resolve the war, but he is not talking about negotiations, he is talking about the surrender of Ukraine.”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany
“It is true that peace cannot be achieved without the involvement of the Russian Federation. But as we speak, Russia continues to wage its brutal war. The Russian Federation could end it at any moment by withdrawing its troops. Today, the Russian Federation abandoned the collective call for peace. An immediate ceasefire without serious negotiations, without a road map to a just and lasting peace, will simply legitimize Russia's seizure of Ukrainian land and lead to a new frozen conflict.”
French President Emmanuel Macron
“Ukrainian capitulation cannot become peace. A prerequisite for peace is to help Ukraine repel aggression. All of us are committed to building sustainable peace. Therefore, a prerequisite for peace is to help Ukraine repel aggression.”
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili
“Before Bucha there was Abkhazia, and before the war in Ukraine there was a war against Georgia. Ukraine is fighting for the security of all of Europe and even more.”
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer
“As many states as possible must put pressure on Moscow to agree to a real peace process. The West cannot do this alone.”
Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of Croatia
“The world may think differently, but Croatia is for a world where victims do not have to capitulate and leave their own territory to the aggressor.”
Polish President Andrzej Duda
“Russia remains a colonial empire that has never gone through the path of decolonization. The Russian Federation does not act independently, but with the help of ‘Putin's puppet’ Lukashenko who not only allowed the Russian army to attack Ukraine from the territory of Belarus, but also initiated a series of hybrid attacks against the eastern borders of Poland and the Baltic states, which lasted for more than 3 years.”
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini
“Italy has signed a memorandum with Odesa and will hold a conference in 2025. Now we are talking about nuclear, food security and repatriation of children. Italy will continue to contribute to this. Italy is ready to send a new package of armed aid, and we will support the recovery of Ukraine. Count on Italy.”
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte
[Speaking as he entered the venue] “The fact that Putin came out with this bulls**t ‘peace proposal’ yesterday is a sign that he is panicking, this is good news.”
Alexander Stubb, President of Finland
“Ukraine is starting the peace process from a position of strength.”
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