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EIGHTY countries at a Switzerland-hosted summit called for Ukraine’s territorial integrity to be the basis for any peace deal today.
But a number of non-Western powers declined to sign the statement, including India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Other clauses focused on protecting nuclear plants from attack and securing food exports through the Black Sea.
Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022, had dismissed the conference as a gimmick, since it was not invited. But Ukrainian officials said a united Western position on what peace would look like would strengthen Kiev’s hand.
The agreement was an emphatic rejection of ceasefire proposals made by Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, which offered a halt to hostilities if Ukraine withdraws troops from four of its regions which Russia has annexed.
Respect for Ukraine’s territorial integrity also formed part of a 12-point peace plan proposed by China last year, alongside an end to unilateral sanctions by Western powers and Nato’s military build-up around Russia. China declined to attend the Swiss summit.
