Agreement Reached by Austria and 80 Other Countries

The Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland received support from 81 countries and the EU in a joint final declaration on Sunday. Among the approving states were Austria, Germany, and the USA, as well as the EU Parliament and the European Council. However, countries like Bahrain, Brazil, Colombia, the Vatican, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, and the UAE were not included in the list of supporting nations.

Despite the participation of heads of state and government, there was no consensus on how to involve Russia in the peace process moving forward. Swiss President Viola Amherd stated that there was no agreement on the timing or method of involving Russia in the future. The lack of unanimity was considered by some, including Swiss Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer, as not dramatic, but rather a sign of varying opinions on how to approach Russia’s involvement.

While the summit aimed to initiate a peace process involving Russia in the long term, there was no specific agreement on when a follow-up conference would be held or what the negotiations would entail. Despite differing viewpoints on how to address Russia’s role in the conflict, the conference was seen as a positive step towards finding a solution to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Statements from Russian President Vladimir Putin prior to the summit highlighted the challenges of reaching a peace agreement, with Putin listing conditions for negotiations that Ukraine found unacceptable. Despite these obstacles, US Vice President Kamala Harris reiterated the US’s support for Ukraine and emphasized the need for truthful dialogue with Russia to resolve the conflict.

The final declaration of the summit addressed key issues such as the protection of critical infrastructure in Ukraine, the renunciation of the use of nuclear weapons, and the exchange of prisoners. While a follow-up conference with concrete negotiations was proposed, the details of such talks were still undetermined. The summit highlighted the importance of international cooperation in facilitating direct negotiations between the conflicting parties and finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict.