Dozens of world leaders agree 'territorial integrity' must be basis of peace in Ukraine

Dozens of countries jointly called on Sunday for the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine to be the basis for any peace agreement to end Russia’s two-year war — although some nations did not sign a final document.

The joint communique by 84 countries capped a two-day conference at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland marked by the absence of Russia, which was not invited, but that many attendees hoped could join in on a road map to peace.

About 100 delegations, mostly western countries but also some key developing nations, took part in the conference.

However, participants including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, India and South Africa were among those that did not sign on to the final document, which focused on issues of nuclear safety, food security and the exchange of prisoners.

China avoided the meeting and Brazil, an “observer” country, did not sign on but Turkey — which has sought to an intermediary between Russia and Ukraine — did.

Speaking at a news conference after the event, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said China should communicate its peace proposals on ending the war with Russia to Ukraine directly, instead of doing so via media outlets.

The final document said the UN Charter and “respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty … can and will serve as a basis for achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine”.

Viola Amherd, the Swiss president who hosted the event, told the final news conference that the fact that the “great majority” of participants agreed to the final document “shows what diplomacy can achieve".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the “first steps towards peace” at the meeting, and said the joint communique remains “open for accession by everyone who respects the UN Charter”.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s Executive Commission, said the conference was “rightly” entitled “Path to Peace” because peace won’t be achieved in a single step.

“It was not a peace negotiation because Putin is not serious about ending the war. He is insisting on capitulation. He is insisting on ceding Ukrainian territory — even territory that today is not occupied by him,” she said. “He is insisting on disarming Ukraine, leaving it vulnerable to future aggression. No country would ever accept these outrageous terms.”

Analysts say the two-day conference will probably have little concrete impact towards ending the war because the country leading and continuing it, Russia, was not invited — for now. Russia's key ally, China, which did not attend, and Brazil have jointly sought to plot alternative routes towards peace.

The meeting also endeavoured to return a spotlight to the war at a time when conflict in Gaza, national elections and other concerns have seized global attention.

The three themes of nuclear safety, food security and prisoner exchanges featured in the final statement. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said they amounted to “minimum conditions” for negotiations with Russia, alluding to how many other areas of disagreement between Kyiv and Moscow will be harder to overcome.

Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, noted a day earlier how his country hosted talks with both Ukrainian and Russian delegations on the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families that has so far resulted in 34 children being reunited.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, speaking to reporters at the resort on Saturday, said it's “going to take work” and countries stepping up to build on efforts by nations like Qatar.

“It’s going to take a spotlight from the international community, not just from only voices from the United States or Europe, but from unusual voices as well to say what Russia has done here is more than reprehensible and must be reversed," he said.

The Ukrainian government believes that 19,546 children have been deported or forcibly displaced, and Russian Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova has previously confirmed that at least 2,000 were taken from Ukrainian orphanages.

Montenegro Prime Minister Milojko Spajic told the gathering on Sunday: “As a father of three, I'm deeply concerned by thousands of Ukrainian kids forcibly transferred to Russia or Russia-occupied territories of Ukraine.

“We all at this table need to do more so that children of Ukraine are back in Ukraine,” he added.

A draft communique, dated June 13, had called for all illegally deported children to be returned.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the participation of more than 90 countries in the summit, at the Buergenstock resort, as a show of international support for Kyiv. Some European allies called for broader outreach to build a lasting peace plan.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Sunday that Canada plans to host a gathering of foreign ministers in the coming months to advance work on the human cost of the war.

Mr Trudeau was speaking alongside Mr Zelenskyy and other leaders at the summit.

Meanwhile, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said a follow-up summit to this weekend's talks in Switzerland aimed at paving the way for peace in Ukraine is conceivable before the US presidential election in November.

Where the next Ukraine conference could be held was unclear at the conclusion of the summit of world leaders at the Buergenstock resort in central Switzerland.