Nearly 80 Countries Sign Ukraine's Peace Summit Communiqué, Key Powers Absent

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Facts

• As the two-day Ukrainian peace summit came to a close on Sunday, 78 world leaders signed the final communiqué, which said 'territorial integrity' must form the basis of any peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. However, a number of nations were notably absent from the list of those countries who signed.¹
• While the document was backed by 27 EU member states, three EU institutions and countries including Turkey, Argentina, Rwanda, Iraq, and Qatar, the list of those who did not sign included Saudi Arabia, India, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates. Russia was not invited to participate, and China snubbed the summit.²
• Speaking at the end of the summit in Switzerland, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the communiqué as the 'first steps toward peace,' but acknowledged the absence of some countries. 'Unfortunately there are people who are still balancing,' he said, adding the text remains open to be signed by 'everyone who respects the UN charter.'²
• Meanwhile, after Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin publicly declared his country's cease-fire terms as the summit was getting underway, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Putin's proposals were not considered by the Group of Seven (G7) nations, adding that they were unserious and intended to distract from the Ukrainian event.³
• Scholz added that aside from the agreed communiqué, the summit's aim was to lay the foundations for discussing matters that go beyond discussions in Switzerland, including Russian participation. There would be a point when 'Russia should also be present,' Scholz said.⁴
• On the ground in Ukraine, clashes were reported across the frontlines, according to the latest analysis from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). While military bloggers reported marginal gains, ISW said there were no confirmed changes in territory over the past day.⁵

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²Guardian, ³The Kyiv Independent, ⁴UKRINFORM and ⁵Understandingwar.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Guardian. Nearly 80 world leaders signed this historic document, which sets out a real pathway towards peace. Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin's proposals weren't taken seriously — they were simply intended to disrupt the Switzerland event.
• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by TASS. Ahead of Ukraine's summit, Putin laid out Russia's terms for bringing the war to a close. The terms are stricter now than the peace deal Ukraine could have had in 2022, but the conditions will only get worse for Ukraine as more time goes on.

Predictions