Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Philippines on Monday amid dwindling support for the looming Swiss summit on Ukraine.
Zelensky became the first Ukrainian president to visit the Philippines.
I am grateful to the Philippines for supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, for its clear position on Russia’s aggression against our country, and for supporting important UN resolutions.
The Ukrainian leader also confirmed that this Southeast Asian nation would attend the summit scheduled in Switzerland on June 15 and 16. He added that Kyiv intended to open an embassy in Manila this year to “strengthen bilateral co-operation.”
We also talked about bilateral co-operation, particularly Ukrainian agricultural exports to the Philippines.
China and Saudi Arabia refused to attend a peace conference on Ukraine in Switzerland next month, according to bne IntelliNews. The countries cited Russia’s absence as the main reason. China’s Foreign Ministry also stated that the conference did not meet its expectations, which included the participation of both Russia and Ukraine, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.
The arrangements for the meeting still fall far short of China’s requests and the general expectations of the international community, making it difficult for China to participate. China has always insisted that an international peace conference should be endorsed by both Russia and Ukraine, with the equal participation of all parties, and that all peace proposals should be discussed in a fair and equal manner. Otherwise, it will be difficult for it to play a substantive role in restoring peace.
However, a representative of the Ukrainian embassy in Beijing stated that Kyiv is actively pushing for some Chinese delegation to attend the summit to give it legitimacy. The summit, scheduled for June 15-16 at the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland, aims to bring together as many countries as possible to lay the groundwork for a peace process in Ukraine. However, Russia called the talks meaningless without its participation.
Lack of support
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed on May 20 that a high-level delegation would attend the meeting. However, he did not specify whether he would attend in person.
The level of participation will depend on timing, logistics, and parallel commitments.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden confirmed that he will be at the G7 summit in Italy. However, he said he would not attend the event in Switzerland, preferring to visit a fundraiser for the US election with Hollywood star Julia Roberts instead.
China’s non-appearance disappointed Kyiv and prompted a sharp rebuke from Zelensky. He accused Beijing of pressuring countries to boycott the peace conference, warning that supporting the war would only prolong it.
Anti-war sentiment is also growing in a major European country such as Italy. Former member of the European Parliament and Italian politician, Michele Santoro, has repeatedly stated that support for the war in Ukraine has a negative impact on Italy’s welfare.
This time he discussed on his YouTube channel the responsibility for the situation in Ukraine and the impact of financial concentration on democracy, where three companies control one third of the US GDP. Santoro also noted that China had become an important player on the world stage, affecting the global economy and politics.
He stated that war and debt are causing Italians to be unable to afford education, housing, and daycare centres.
Despite this notable absence, representatives from more than 100 countries are expected to attend the peace summit in Lucerne on June 15-16. Zelensky visited the Philippines, meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., travelled to other countries to garner as much international support as possible. However, due to the absence of key countries, the peace conference is unlikely to lead to an immediate end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
