BRICS countries reject Peace Summit Declaration

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of showing no interest in attaining peace as the two countries continue to engage in a territorial war that has cost thousands of lives and caused untold damage to infrastructure.

Ukraine has made the first move towards peace after a protracted war against Russia that started back in 2022.

The eagerly-anticipated Peace Summit took place in Switzerland this past weekend, where 90 countries from almost all continents participated in what is believed to be the first significant effort to end the war in which Russia is fighting its smaller neighbouring country.

“Now there is no Russia here. Why? Because if Russia was interested in peace, there would be no war. We must decide together what a just peace means for the world and how it can be achieved in a truly lasting way. The UN Charter is the basis for us,” Zelensky said when addressing world leaders at the watershed summit this past Sunday.

It is alleged that Russia, which has been the aggressor in the conflict, brushed off the summit and has shown no interest from the onset.

Zelensky stated that it was his country’s intention to have an action plan on the table by the end of the Peace Summit that will be agreed upon by all and made transparent to all parties involved before being communicated to the representatives of Russia.

“And so that at the Second Peace Summit we can fix the real end of the war. Now we are starting this path. Together, we must prove that the united world is a world of peace, a world that knows how to act correctly.”

The Peace Summit was intended to de-escalate the fighting and further bloodshed between the two Eastern European nations.

Amid fears of escalation, the threat of nuclear weapons, and full-scale world war, Kyiv convinced numerous participating nations to sign the peace charter document, while a few other nations attending the summit were reluctant to participate.

Some of the nations that did not sign the communique included India, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and South Africa.

China did not attend the summit, while Brazil was believed to be present as an observer. Russia was not invited to the summit and is believed to be reluctant to engage Ukraine in the first steps towards peace.

“Today is the day when the world begins to bring a just peace closer. I thank everyone who has worked for this day – every leader, all the teams and advisors, all the states.

“One hundred and one states and international organisations are now at the Summit, and this is a tremendous success, our success, the common success of all those who believe that a united world, united nations, are stronger than any aggressor,” Zelensky said.

“No one has the right to wage a war of aggression against a neighbour and undermine one of the basic principles of the UN Charter – the territorial integrity of states.

“No one has the right to threaten the world with nuclear weapons. No one has the right to undermine food, energy, or any other security of the world and its regions.”

Since the war broke out over two years ago, Russia has allegedly taken over 20,000 children from Ukraine. Countless Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war are believed to be held by Russia.

The Summit on peace in Ukraine focused on two main areas: radiation and nuclear safety, and food security. The third focus was the release of prisoners and deportees, adults and children, military and civilians whose lives have been broken by war.

“We have managed to avoid one of the most terrible things, namely, the division of the world into opposing blocs. Here, there are representatives from Latin America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, the Pacific, North America, and religious leaders... One hundred and one participants,” Zelensky said excitedly.

Zelensky said the majority of the world definitely supports the principle of territorial integrity of states, sovereignty of nations, and equality in relations between peoples.

The Ukrainian president, who is often compared to former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, said the Peace Formula encourages all the powers of the world to think about ending the war and to propose how to end it.

“First is to prove that the return of security is indeed possible. We will work out the steps with you. Second is to provide a real plan to make every step for peace work and complete the end of the war without the threat of its new outbreak. I believe it is possible.” “Third, there is no need to reinvent the wheel when the UN Charter already defines the foundations of peace and normal coexistence of peoples.

“So, we just have to return to them. And for this purpose, we need to decide how countries will cooperate, who will be co-leaders, in order to fix and implement an action plan. These are absolutely clear and achievable goals.”