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Presidents of Ukraine and Switzerland discuss future meeting

Selenskyj announces further meeting with Swiss government
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not provide any details on when and where the bilateral meeting with his Swiss counterpart, Karin Keller-Sutter, would take place. Keystone-SDA

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Swiss counterpart, Karin Keller-Sutter, have held talks by phone to prepare a future bilateral meeting, it was announced on Wednesday.

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It is important for Ukraine that relations with Switzerland remain meaningful and geared towards achieving peace in the near future, Zelensky explained on his website.

“We appreciate Switzerland’s willingness to support us both politically and organisationally,” he declared.

Zelensky did not provide any details on when and where the bilateral meeting with Keller-Sutter would take place. The annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting will be held in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos in two weeks’ time. It is unclear if Zelensky will attend the meeting of leading politicians, businesspeople and other decision-makers.

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Keller-Sutter, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency position, once again assured Zelensky of her support, she said on the social media platform X. She also highlighted long-term humanitarian and reconstruction projects as well as Switzerland’s willingness to contribute to a peace process through its good offices.

+ How neutral is Switzerland really?

Switzerland organised talks with Ukraine in June 2024 to try to secure peace between Ukraine and Russia. Over 40 heads of state and government took part in the meeting at Bürgenstock in central Switzerland. Russia was not invited. The majority of the summit participants adopted proposals for lasting peace, but they were unable to agree on a clear approach on how to involve Russia in a peace process. Ukraine has recently planned a follow-up summit.

+ Ukraine peace summit failed to meet expectations

According to reports, Zelensky also advocated engagement on behalf of Syria during his talks with the Swiss president. He suggested that Switzerland should help with the delivery of food to the Middle East country. Ukrainian food and Switzerland’s financial involvement together with other partners could help Syrians lead a more normal life after the war, said the Ukrainian president.

Adapted from German by DeepL/sb

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