Ukraine will press forward with an effort to build support for a peace formula with the so-called Global South as Malta hosts a third gathering of senior officials to discuss the blueprint this month.
(Bloomberg) — Ukraine will press forward with an effort to build support for a peace formula with the so-called Global South as Malta hosts a third gathering of senior officials to discuss the blueprint this month.
The Oct. 28-29 meeting in Malta, a European Union island nation in the Mediterranean Sea, will aim to secure the “broadest possible international support” for President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s plan, the Maltese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
As much of the globe’s attention has shifted to the Israel-Hamas war and geopolitical fallout, Zelenskiy is pushing the formula, which aims to recruit nations such as India and Brazil to Ukraine’s aims and culminate in a global summit later this year. The Malta meeting follows similar gatherings in Denmark in June and Saudi Arabia in August.
A 10-point formula calls for the full withdrawal of Russian troops as the main condition, a demand the Kremlin has dismissed. Zelenskiy has ruled out direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has denounced the previous meetings as illegitimate.
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“Talks in Malta will continue to increase the momentum to set up bigger and wider support for peace efforts led by Ukraine before the envisaged Global Peace Summit,” the ministry said.
No date has been set for the summit as partners seek to make progress at the level of security advisers on enlisting the Global South to the Ukrainian position before such a higher-level meeting can take place.
Ukraine’s allies see the meetings as a platform for officials from Kyiv to make their case directly to nations that have remained largely neutral on Russia’s invasion. In addition to calling for Moscow’s withdrawal, the plan covers topics such as ensuring food security and nuclear safety.
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