Putin’s bluff before the peace summit. Zelensky has two goals. “Burst the Russian bubble”
– Russia does not want peace and does not perceive the so-called peace talks as a way to achieve it, but only as a way to implement their assumptions, which are to lead to maximum victory – says prof. for “Wprost”. Agnieszka Legucka. The PISM expert shows what is at stake during the summit in Switzerland and why Joe Biden’s absence has its advantages.
160 delegations received an invitation to participate in the summit in Switzerland, which – as the Ukrainian side assures – is organized to ensure “a just and lasting peace”. However, there are indications that more than one third of guests will not show up. Estimates made at the beginning of June indicated that representatives of 100 countries and organizations would take part in the event, and a moment before the start this number was around 90.
Participants were falling apart, despite repeated appeals from President Volodymyr Zelensky, who called for above-average commitment. All this to ensure that the representation participating in the summit was as large as possible, which was to have a symbolic meaning – to show the unity of the civilized world in supporting Ukraine and, at the same time, opposition to Russian aggression.
The summit in Switzerland and Zelensky’s two goals. “Burst the Russian bubble”
– Volodymyr Zelensky is seeking two issues. First of all: it is trying to find a platform of support for the 10-point peace program that the Ukrainian administration presented in 2022. This plan is multidimensional – it does not only concern the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, which is, of course, the most important thing. It also raises issues whose implementation requires seeking a wide range of partners around the world. This includes: to guarantee food and energy security – says in an interview with “Wprost” prof. Agnieszka Legucka from the Polish Institute of International Affairs.
– Zelensky wants the attention of representatives of the so-called Global South. Delegations from Africa and South America, although not extensive, will appear at the summit. And it is in these regions of the world that the war in Ukraine is largely presented in a way that does not correspond to reality – in line with Russia’s narrative – adds our interlocutor.
This is related to the second goal of the President of Ukraine. – Zelensky is trying not only to find allies for his program, but above all to send a clear signal that Ukraine wants peace. It strives to break the Russian information bubble, says a Russia analyst in the Eastern Europe program.
