COPENHAGEN MEET ON UKRAINE CRISIS

Context

• Ukraine's efforts to build international support for a peace blueprint.

Details

• Ukraine has made progress in building broad international support for a peace blueprint.
• However, any summit to endorse the document is at least months away, according to officials.
• Senior officials from Ukraine, G7 countries, the European Union, and other nations met in Denmark for talks on the concept.
• The meeting aimed to advance a proposal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for a "peace summit" to endorse principles for ending the war.

Coalition Building

• The summit would not involve Russia, but rather rally a broad coalition behind the Kyiv government.
• Major countries that have not provided military aid to Ukraine or imposed sanctions on Russia were also invited.
• The goal is to increase diplomatic pressure on Moscow.

China's Absence

• China was invited to the talks but did not attend, highlighting the challenge of building a global coalition.

Impact of Russian Turmoil

• The ongoing turmoil in Russia could potentially persuade more countries to support Ukraine's cause.
• Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen believes that the weakening of Putin's position might influence discussions on a post-war situation in Ukraine.

Peace Formula

• The focus of the talks was on finding common ground for a possible peace formula.
• The discussions built on a 10-point plan outlined by President Zelenskiy in November.
• Officials emphasized the importance of basing the formula on the principles of the U.N. Charter, such as territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Ukraine's Position

• Andriy Yermak, Zelenskiy's chief of staff, represented Ukraine at the talks.
• Ukraine wants a peace settlement based on its proposals but is open to input from others.
• It is clear that there will be no territorial compromises from Ukraine's side.

U.S. Participation

• S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan participated in the meeting via video due to the upheaval in Russia.

Timeline and Venue

• Zelenskiy proposed the summit to take place in July, but officials believe more work needs to be done.
• A date later in the year is more likely, and Copenhagen has been suggested as a possible venue.

Utilizing Instability

• Some officials believe that Ukraine having more time to negotiate and potentially gain advantages on the battlefield during the instability in Russia is not necessarily a bad thing.

Meetings Held for Russia Ukraine Peace

Meeting 1

• Date: February 28, 2022
• Location: Gomel, Belarus
• Participants:
  • Mykhailo Podolyak, Head of the Ukrainian delegation
  • Vladimir Medinsky, Head of the Russian delegation
• Key points:
  • The two sides agreed to a temporary ceasefire to allow for humanitarian corridors to be established.
  • They also agreed to continue talks in the future.

Meeting 2

• Date: March 3, 2022
• Location: Same as Meeting 1
• Participants: Same as Meeting 1
• Key points:
  • The two sides discussed a possible ceasefire agreement.
  • They also discussed the future of Ukraine's neutrality.

Meeting 3

• Date: March 7, 2022
• Location: Same as Meeting 1
• Participants: Same as Meeting 1
• Key points:
  • The two sides failed to reach an agreement on a ceasefire.
  • They also failed to reach an agreement on Ukraine's neutrality.

Meeting 4

• Date: March 10, 2022
• Location: Istanbul, Turkey
• Participants:
  • Mykhailo Podolyak, Head of the Ukrainian delegation
  • Vladimir Medinsky, Head of the Russian delegation
  • İbrahim Kalın, Turkish Presidential Spokesperson
  • Oleg Ušakov, Russian Presidential Aide
• Key points:
  • The two sides discussed a possible ceasefire agreement.
  • They also discussed the future of Ukraine's neutrality.
  • They agreed to continue talks in the future.

Meeting 5

• Date: April 1, 2022
• Location: Same as Meeting 4
• Participants: Same as Meeting 4
• Key points:
  • The two sides discussed a possible ceasefire agreement.
  • They also discussed the future of Ukraine's neutrality.
  • They failed to reach an agreement on either issue.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-peace-summit-talks-make-progress-long-way-go-officials-2023-06-26/