Officials believe that Ukraine's collaboration with allies to garner extensive international support for a peace plan has made progress, but there will be no tightly coordinated summit for at least several months.
High-ranking officials from Ukraine, the G7 countries, the European Union, and nations such as Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Turkey met last Saturday in Denmark to discuss the concept amidst an incomplete rebellion in Russia. China was invited to the talks but did not attend, highlighting the challenge Ukraine and its allies face in building a globally respected coalition.
The goal of the Copenhagen meeting was to present a proposal to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for holding a "peace summit," to endorse the principles supporting a settlement to end the war that began 16 months ago. Ukrainian and Western officials indicated that the summit would not include Russia, but instead aims to rally a broad coalition supporting Kyiv's government that includes major countries which have chosen not to provide military assistance to Ukraine or impose sanctions on Russia to increase diplomatic pressure on Moscow.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen noted that unrest in Russia might convince other nations to join. "My interpretation is that Putin has been weakened to some extent. I hope this will influence the rest of the world’s willingness to discuss post-war conditions in Ukraine," Rasmussen told reporters at a European Union foreign ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.
The turmoil in Russia has created an intriguing context for the talks, with officials revealing that the focus was on attempting to find common ground for a possible peace formula based on a ten-point plan proposed by Zelensky last November. A senior official from the European Commission, familiar with the discussions, stated, "The closer the peace formula aligns with the United Nations Charter and fundamental principles of international law, the greater the likelihood that everyone will ultimately agree."
Zelensky's aide, Andriy Yermak, represented Ukraine in the talks. Yermak told German journalists via video call that Ukraine seeks a peaceful settlement based on its proposals, but Kyiv accepts contributions from others. He added, "We are ready to listen," but he noted, "It is clear that there can be no concessions on territory."
Officials pointed out that U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan participated in the video call after canceling plans for personal attendance due to the unrest in Russia. Zelensky had suggested holding a summit in July, but officials indicated that much work remains to be done.
No venue has been agreed upon for any potential summit, but diplomats say Copenhagen has been proposed as a location. Another senior EU official remarked, "It’s not bad for the Ukrainians to have some time to possibly secure a few additional gains on the battlefield and perhaps take advantage of some of the instability we’ve seen."
