Live blog: 83 countries hold Ukraine peace talks in Davos

Sunday, January 14, 2024

1217 GMT — More than 80 countries were holding talks seeking common ground on Ukraine's peace formula, as the Swiss co-hosts admitted that being ready to include Russia remains some way off.

National security advisers from 83 countries held a fourth round of discussions based on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's 10-point proposals for a lasting and just peace in Ukraine, nearly two years on from Russia's full-scale offensive.

The talks were co-chaired by Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak, who heads Zelenskyy's office, and Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis.

"The purpose is to prepare so that we are ready and ripe to launch a process with Russia -- when the time comes," Cassis told a press conference.

He said the talks had to find a way to include Russia at some point, but thus far, neither Kiev nor Moscow was ready to take such a step.

Brazil, India and South Africa participated in the talks -- countries that sit alongside Russia in the BRICS group.

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1635 GMT — Paris and Berlin will support Ukraine 'as long' as necessary: ministers

France's new foreign minister and his German counterpart said they would continue to support Ukraine for as long as needed, nearly two years after the start of Russian military attacks.

"We are in full agreement... that we must support the Ukrainians for as long as necessary," French minister Stephane Sejourne told a press conference alongside German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

Baerbock said they would remain "on the side of Ukraine as long as necessary, until Russia has withdrawn", from Ukrainian territory.

But she warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin "does not want to stop" in the war and "is not stopping".

The meeting between the two foreign ministers comes at a time when allies are struggling to secure funding and as some worry that Kiev could be forgotten as other conflicts, such as that between Israel and Hamas, take centre stage.

1419 GMT — Davos will not yield constructive Ukraine peace talks: Russian tycoon

There is unlikely to be peace in Ukraine until at least May 2025 and constructive discussion at Davos on ending the conflict will not be possible because no Russian delegation will attend, Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, triggering the biggest confrontation between the West and Moscow since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French President Emmanuel Macron and key Middle East leaders are slated to attend next week's World Economic Forum, putting talks to end wars in Gaza and Ukraine at the top of the agenda for the global elite.

"It is a pity that a constructive talk about the situation in Ukraine will not happen — there will be no Russian delegation," Deripaska said in a post on the Telegram app.

"Don't await peace before May of '25," Deripaska said.

1217 GMT — ‘Peace sought by Ukraine must guarantee its integrity, sovereignty’: Top official

A top Ukrainian official said that the peace sought by his country must guarantee its survival, integrity and sovereignty.

“The peace that Ukraine seeks must guarantee its survival, integrity, sovereignty and the possibility of development. It should prevent the recurrence of aggression . Together, we have created a coherent framework for achieving such peace,” Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, said on Telegram.

His comments came as a fourth meeting of national security advisers was held on the peace formula proposed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Yermak said that they have to decide on further actions, particularly with regard to the format of the "peace summit" in implementing Zelenskyy's peace proposal.

“We need a platform that captures the specific parts of our comprehensive plan. In order to move forward, it is necessary to agree on the format of the Peace Foundation Summit. I hope we will be able to find an acceptable option,” Yermak said.

Zelenskyy's formula, which consists of 10 conditions, was laid out at the 2022 G-20 summit held in Indonesia, with its final step being signing a peace accord. It also focuses on issues such as nuclear safety and food and energy security.

1008 GMT — Western envoys review Ukraine's peace formula to end conflict

Top foreign policy advisers from Western countries and Ukraine are meeting to help push forward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's peace formula that aims to end Russia's "special military operation" on his country.

The fourth such meeting of national security advisers on Sunday takes place in the Swiss town of Davos, where Zelenskyy is set to attend the World Economic Forum's annual meeting starting on Tuesday.

He will endeavour to keep up international focus on Ukraine's defence amid eroding support for Kiev in the West and swelling distractions like conflict in the Middle East.

Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, and Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis are hosting Sunday's conference attended by more than 80 delegations that aims to build on the previous closed-door efforts in Denmark, Saudi Arabia and Malta last summer and fall.

Zelenskyy has presented a 10-point peace formula that, among other things, seeks the expulsion of all Russian forces from Ukraine — at a time when both sides are fighting from largely static positions along a roughly 1,500-kilometre front line.

2117 GMT — Ukraine's security cooperation deal with UK leaves no chance for peace talks: Russia

The Russian Embassy in the UK said Saturday that Ukraine's security cooperation agreement with Britain leaves it without chances for peace talks.

Commenting on a visit by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to Kiev on Friday, during which he signed a 10-year deal on military and security cooperation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the diplomatic service said results were shameful.

"The results of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's campaign trip to 'friend Zelenskyy' are deplorable, first of all for Ukraine itself. Putting aside the pretentious proclamations, London continues to view this country as a geopolitical tool aimed against Russia," the embassy said in a statement.

The agreement shows that the Anglo-Saxons see Ukraine as "a bargaining chip in the adventures of Eurasia," it said.

For our live updates from Saturday, January 13, click here.