Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made a heartfelt plea to US President Joe Biden and China’s President Xi Jinping to attend a peace summit in Switzerland next month. In a moving video message, Zelensky stood in front of the ruins in the war-torn city of Kharkiv, urging the world leaders to support the global peace summit with their personal leadership and participation.
The summit, scheduled to take place at a luxury resort near Lucerne from June 15-16, is being hosted by the Swiss government at Ukraine’s request. Despite extended invitations to 160 delegations, Russia has declined to attend the event, which is expected to last just over a day.
While Biden’s attendance remains unconfirmed, organizers have stated that countries participating include members of the G7, the G20, and the BRICS group. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his disappointment at not being invited, stating that Russia would not push to attend an event where it is unwelcome.
China, a strategic ally of Russia, reiterated its support for an international peace conference recognized by both Russia and Ukraine, emphasizing equal participation and fair discussion of all peace plans. Zelensky revealed that more than 80 countries have confirmed their attendance, and Ukraine continues its efforts to invite leaders to the summit.
As tensions escalate in the region, the world waits to see if Biden and Xi will heed Zelensky’s call for peace and join the summit to help broker a resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.