Signatures of two states ‘disappear’ from Zelensky’s ‘peace conference’ declaration, India explains refusal to sign

Jordan and Iraq are not listed in the final copy of the document published by the Swiss organisers of the event.

The signatures of Jordan and Iraq have disappeared from the final communique of the Swiss-hosted Ukraine ‘peace conference’, according to the latest copy of the document posted on the Swiss Foreign Ministry website.

While Baghdad and Amman have not provided any official explanations so far, multiple media outlets reported on Sunday that the countries had withdrawn their signatures.

Out of 92 countries represented at the proceedings, only 78 signed the communique, with Kosovo listed as an independent state. Serbia and a number of countries, including Russia and China, still consider Kosovo Serbian territory.

Some members of the BRICS group attended the conference, but none of them signed the document. Despite being party to the conflict, Moscow was not invited to the event at the Swiss Burgenstock Resort. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the summit an attempt by the West to distract attention away from the root causes of the Ukraine conflict.

According to the document, the talks and the resulting communique were “based on Ukraine’s peace formula” and “other peace proposals which are in line with international law.” The signatories agreed on their “commitment to refraining from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, the principles of sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of all states, including Ukraine.”

In addition, the document called for the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant to be returned to Ukrainian control, full access for Ukraine to Black Sea and Sea of Azov ports, and the release of all prisoners of war.

After the event concluded on Sunday, some international media outlets began reporting that the ‘peace summit’ failed to convince major non-aligned states to sign on to the declarations in the document.

“A decision by China to stay away all but assured that the summit would fail to achieve Ukraine’s goal of persuading major countries from the ‘Global South’ to join in isolating Russia,” Reuters said in an article on Monday, noting that no country has come forward to host a follow-up conference.

“The challenge was to talk tough on Russia but open the door for it to join a peace initiative,” AP wrote on Sunday.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he is willing to order a ceasefire and begin negotiations “the minute” that Kiev fulfills several conditions. Among the main points, Putin stated that Kiev must cede all five former Ukrainian regions that voted in referendums to join Russia, including Crimea, pull out all Ukrainian troops in these territories, and officially abandon its bid to join NATO.

New Delhi explains refusal to sign Zelensky ‘peace conference’ declaration

India has said that only proposals acceptable to both Russia and Ukraine can lead to a resolution to the conflict.

India believes that only “sincere and practical engagement” regarding the Ukraine conflict can lead to a resolution, New Delhi said in a statement on Sunday, following Vladimir Zelensky’s ‘peace summit’ hosted by Switzerland.

India noted that while it took part in the talks, to which Russia was not invited, it only attended the opening and closing plenary sessions and did not associate itself with any communique or document emerging from the event. The country was represented by Pavan Kapoor, the secretary (west) of the Ministry of External Affairs and former ambassador to Russia (2021-24).

Addressing the conference on Sunday, Kapoor stressed that only solutions acceptable to “both the parties” can achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine.

The Indian Foreign Ministry said later in a statement that the country’s participation in the summit, as well as the preceding meetings based on Ukraine’s ‘peace formula’, is in line with its consistent approach “to facilitate a lasting and peaceful resolution to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.”

“We continue to believe that such a resolution requires a sincere and practical engagement between the two parties to the conflict,” the statement added. New Delhi also said it will continue to engage with both Russia and Ukraine and other stakeholders “to contribute to all earnest efforts to bring about an early and abiding peace.”

Apart from India, around a dozen countries that took part in the talks did not approve the final document, including Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the UAE, Mexico, Thailand, and Indonesia; 78 nations and four international bodies signed the communique, according to the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs.

India has maintained a neutral position on the conflict, calling for the conflict to be resolved through diplomatic means. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy on Friday. While Modi noted in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that India is “eager” to “cement” bilateral relations with Ukraine, he also restated New Delhi’s position on the conflict. “Regarding the ongoing hostilities, [I have] reiterated that India believes in a human-centric approach and believes that the way to peace is through dialogue and diplomacy.”

Moscow dismissed the summit, maintaining that a resolution to the conflict is not possible without involving Russia in talks. The summit was largely based on Zelensky’s ten-point ‘peace formula’, which Moscow firmly rejects.

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his own proposal for a ceasefire on Friday – which Kiev and the West immediately rejected.