The two-day conference in Jeddah is being attended by national security advisors and other senior officials from some 40 countries, with the aim of finding a “political and diplomatic way” to end the war, according to the Saudi hosts.
Representatives of Ukraine, the US, the European Union, Great Britain, Germany as well as Chile, Indonesia, Egypt and Turkey are expected in Jeddah; Russia was not invited.
As for Swiss non-participation, a foreign ministry spokesman told the Keystone-SDA news agency that the gathering was a follow-up to a previous summit in Copenhagen, which Switzerland also did not attend.
That said, the Alpine Nation naturally welcomes such events as part of efforts to end the war, the spokesman added. Switzerland is following the talks “closely” and is in contact with Ukrainian authorities.
It also remains willing to offer its good offices as a diplomatic mediator between the conflicting parties if this is requested, the spokesman said.
The Ukrainian administration said the goal of the Jeddah summit was to find a way to implement president Volodymyr Zelensky’s “peace formula”, whose core demand is a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
Ukrainian, Russian and international officials say there is no prospect of direct peace talks between the two conflict parties at the moment, as the war continues to rage and Kyiv seeks to reclaim territory through a counter-offensive.
Western diplomats also say an endorsement of all of Zelensky’s peace formula is highly unlikely at the talks. But they want to at least get clear backing for principles enshrined in the UN Charter, such as territorial integrity.
Living longer: What do you think about the longevity trend?
The longevity market is booming thanks in part to advances in the science of ageing. What do you think of the idea of significantly extending human lifespan?
Situation in Swiss landslide valley remains unstable
This content was published on
Authorities in Valais said on Thursday that it was still too dangerous to begin clear-up activities around the village of Blatten.
Spar Switzerland put up for sale by South African owner
This content was published on
Talks with potential buyers of the 360-plus Spar stores in Switzerland are underway, but it’s not clear who’s in the running.
Further villages in Swiss landslide area avoid damage for now
This content was published on
Due to the build-up of a lake behind the debris in Blatten, canton Valais, parts of neighbouring villages have been evacuated as a precaution.
Glacier collapses burying large parts of Swiss village Blatten
This content was published on
A gigantic avalanche of ice, mud and debris has buried a large part of the village of Blatten after a major glacier collapsed.
Swiss government seeks better labour integration of Ukrainian refugees
This content was published on
The Swiss government has now set a goal of 50% of Ukrainian refugees to be in employment by the end of 2025, compared with 38% at present.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.