Switzerland plans to organise Ukraine peace summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Swiss government ministers and parliamentarians. © Keystone / Alessandro Della Valle

Switzerland plans to support the reconstruction of Ukraine by organising a future peace conference and by helping to de-mine the war-torn country. 

At a media conference on Monday, Viola Amherd, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, expressed her solidarity with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

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Amherd said that Switzerland would continue to work for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. 

The details of a possible peace conference still need to be examined in depth, said Amherd. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs will play a leading role in the organisation. 

European stability

Switzerland also wants to focus on the reconstruction of Ukraine, which is of strategic importance for the stability of the continent.  

The Lugano Principles of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2022), held in July 2022, serve as a political compass for reconstruction. Switzerland has earmarked CHF1.5 billion as part of its international cooperation until 2028. 

Mine clearance is a central theme of this assistance. According to Amherd, a country without mines is a prerequisite for people to return home and for agriculture to resume again. 

Sanctions and export controls

Zelensky thanked Switzerland for its help and sympathy for the fate of Ukraine, adding that being neutral does not mean that Switzerland should ignore reality. 

At the media conference the Ukrainian President called on Switzerland to provide more than just humanitarian aid. He welcomed the fact that Switzerland is also supporting the sanctions policy against Russia, helping to rebuild the country, to clear mines and organising a peace summit together with Ukraine. 

Zelensky also called for export controls on electronic components used in Russian missiles to be strengthened. 

When asked which countries could take part in the planned peace summit, Zelensky said that in principle,all countries that recognised the territorial integrity of Ukraine could take part. The Ukrainian President pointed out that more than 80 countries took part in the fourth conference on the Ukrainian peace formula in Davos on Sunday. 

In response to a question about China’s possible role in this process, Zelensky said that he hoped all civilised countries would participate in the process. He hoped that China would be present at the planned peace summit. 

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