80 countries at Swiss conference agree territorial integrity of Ukraine must be basis of any peace

Swiss Federal President Viola Amherd, left, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attend the closing news conference during the Summit on peace in Ukraine, in Obbürgen, Switzerland, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone via AP)

OBBÜRGEN, Switzerland (AP) — Eighty countries jointly called Sunday for the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine to be the basis for any peace agreement to end Russia’s two-year war, though some key developing nations at a Swiss conference did not join in.

The joint communique 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 roadmap to peace.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives at the closing news conference during the Summit on peace in Ukraine, in Obbürgen, Switzerland, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)

About 100 delegations, mostly Western countries but also some key developing nations, were on hand for the conference — and experts were on watch to see how and if at all they might line up behind the outcome document.

Participants India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates — which were represented by foreign ministers or lower-level envoys — were among those that did not sign onto the final document, which focused on issues of nuclear safety, food security and the exchange of prisoners.

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends a plenary session, during the Summit on peace in Ukraine, in Obbürgen, Switzerland, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Alessandro Della Valle/Keystone via AP)

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

The final document said the U.N. 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 toward peace” at the meeting, and said the joint communique remains “open for accession by everyone who respects the U.N. 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.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives for a plenary session, during the Summit on peace in Ukraine, in Obbürgen, Switzerland, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone via AP)

Analysts say the two-day conference will likely have little concrete impact toward 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 toward peace.

Thailand's Vice Minister Russ Jalichandra attends a plenary session, during the Summit on peace in Ukraine, in Obbürgen, Switzerland, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone via AP)

The meeting also endeavored 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.

Canada's Prime minister Justin Trudeau attends a plenary session, during the Summit on peace in Ukraine, in Obbürgen, Switzerland, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone via AP)

Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, noted a day earlier how his rich Gulf 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.

Kenya's President William Ruto attends a plenary session, during the Summit on peace in Ukraine, in Obbürgen, Switzerland, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone via AP)

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.

Minister Kisun Bang of Republic of Korea, second from left, attends the plenary session during the Summit on peace in Ukraine, in Obbürgen, Switzerland, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)

Montenegro Prime Minister Milojko Spajic told the gathering 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.

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Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Jamey Keaten, The Associated Press

From left: Swiss Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis, Swiss Federal President Viola Amherd, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine Head of the presidential Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak attend the plenary session during the Summit on peace in Ukraine, in Obbürgen, Switzerland, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone via AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy leaves the plenary session during the Summit on peace in Ukraine, in Obbürgen, Switzerland, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone via AP)

President of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen attends the plenary session during the Summit on peace in Ukraine, in Obbürgen, Switzerland, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone via AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and Swiss Federal President Viola Amherd leave the plenary session during the Summit on peace in Ukraine, in Obbürgen, Switzerland, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Urs Flueeler/Keystone via AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, centre, attends the plenary session during the Summit on peace in Ukraine, in Obbürgen, Switzerland, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy waits for a meeting with Ghana's President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during the Summit on peace in Ukraine, in Obbürgen, Switzerland, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)

US security advisor Jake Sullivan attends the plenary session during the Summit on peace in Ukraine, in Obbürgen, Switzerland, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and Ghana's President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo attend their meeting during the Summit on peace in Ukraine, in Obbürgen, Switzerland, Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP)