12 BRICS Countries Refuse To Sign Ukraine Peace Summit Declaration

Joy ChukwuJune 16, 20242 Mins read665

Twelve of the 92 countries attending the Swiss Summit on Peace in Ukraine this weekend chose not to sign the final communiqué, Sky News reported on Sunday.

Although Putin recently expressed readiness to start peace talks with Ukraine at any moment on the condition that Ukraine fully withdraw its troops from Russian territories, Russia and China were notably absent from the summit, which was called to facilitate the international community’s development of a peace plan for Ukraine.

Several countries with close ties to Russia, including BRICS members Brazil, India, and South Africa, declined to sign the communiqué. Other nations that abstained included Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand.

According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, discussions on peace in Ukraine were not part of the agenda at the summit, and Putin’s ceasefire proposals were not being considered.

On Saturday, Swiss President Viola Amherd and Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister during the summit voiced the critical role of Russian participation in achieving a sustainable peace process for Ukraine.

“The peace process without Russia is inconceivable,” Amherd said while stressing the need for both parties to engage in dialogue beyond armed conflicts.

The Saudi foreign minister echoed similar views: “It is essential to emphasise that any credible process will need Russia’s participation.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen rejected the idea of freezing the Ukraine conflict, advocating for comprehensive support towards achieving a just and sustainable peace that upholds Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“Freezing the conflict today … is not an answer … Instead, we need to support a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace for Ukraine, one that restores Ukraine’s sovereignty and its territorial integrity,” Von Der Leyen said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the summit for enabling “a fruitful, comprehensive, and constructive exchange of various views on pathways towards a framework for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace,” noting that the participants had agreed on common approaches to three key issues.

Firstly, the control of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant should be fully returned to Ukraine, and the use or threat of nuclear weapons is deemed unacceptable.

Secondly, food security should not be weaponised, and Ukraine’s access to its Black Sea ports must be restored to facilitate the free export of its agricultural products worldwide.

Finally, all prisoners of war from both sides must be released, and all Ukrainian children transported to Russia, along with other civilians held illegally, must be returned to Ukraine.

During a press conference at the summit’s conclusion, Zelensky stated that Ukraine was prepared to begin negotiations with Russia “tomorrow” if Moscow respected Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Zelensky further said Russia’s attendance at a second peace summit, potentially occurring in the coming months, would indicate Moscow’s desire for peace and its decision to end the war.

“Whether Russia wants it or whether the world community forces its hand is not important to us. The result is important to us — the end of this war,” Zelensky said.