After Moscow called “unrealistic” the hypothesis of a peace interview with Kiev in the Vatican, the possibility of another place is made to favor a concrete comparison between the delegations of the two countries, which can lead to the end of the war in Ukraine. Switzerland is the one to apply this time as the theater of a new face to face between Russia and Ukraine, according to what was written on Telegram by the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, after a phone call with the Swiss National Security Councilor, Gabriel Luchinger.
For the second time Switzerland wants to host peace talks
The refusal of a possible meeting in the Vatican comes directly from the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergej Lavrov, who specified how the Holy See is not a suitable place to host interviews between two countries of Orthodox tradition such as Russia and Ukraine.
Switzerland therefore again opens the doors to dialogue, in the wake of its historic neutrality position. In June last year, in Geneva, the first peace conference on Ukraine was held, without the presence of Russia – which had not been invited – nor of China, her main political and economic supporter. The summit ended with nothing done and the final press release was not signed by all the participants: among the twelve who paraded, powers such as India and Saudi Arabia were shown.
As the peace summit on the war in Ukraine ended
The stall in the talks pushes Kiev to solicit further military support from Brussels. The Ukrainian Finance Minister, Serhiy Marchenko, proposed the direct financing of the Ukrainian Armed Forces by the European Union countries, not only to counter the Russian invasion that began in February 2022, but also after reaching a possible peace agreement. “The military guarantee protection not only of Ukraine, but of the whole of Europe,” wrote Marchenko on Telegram. Even in case of lasting peace, according to the minister, the risk placed from Russia to European security will remain. The Ukrainian budget for 2024 provides for an expense of 28 billion dollars for the defense, however destined to grow during the year.
Berlin in Beijing: “I support the efforts for the Kiev truce”
On the same day when Switzerland proposes itself as the venue for the next talks between Kiev and Moscow, the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Beijing to support peace efforts in Ukraine during his first telephone interview with the Chinese president Xi Jinping. During the conversation, it was announced, XI and Merz stressed “their will to work in partnership to face global challenges”.
