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'They Know Trump Will End the War': Here's What Kyiv Is Pushing Ahead of US Elections

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  July 11, 2024 9:30 AM

Kyiv is reportedly looking to convene a new peace summit before the U.S. elections—this time with Russia included. 

The first gathering of more than 90 countries took place last month in Switzerland but Russia did not attend.

Speaking at the Reagan Institute in Washington on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the U.S. to support such an effort. 

"We must and can organize the second peace summit this year based on the peace formula, even more powerful, and truly decisive," he said. 

The push to organise the meeting before the US elections points to a sense of urgency on the part of Ukraine as it faces the prospect of Donald Trump returning to the White House. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee has boasted that he’ll end the war by the time he’s inaugurated in January and has argued against the US’s continued military support for Kyiv.

Ukraine has been keen to use the summit process as a pathway to reaching a broad agreement on a set of key principles that would form the basis of a just peace before engaging with Russia. The Swiss summit focused on nuclear safety, food security and returning abducted children, and it is around those issues that initial contact with Russian officials could be established.

A Ukrainian official confirmed the plan to hold a second summit before the US elections. Several officials from some Western allied nations said any meeting would need to be carefully organised with a clear purpose and expectations managed.

Some US officials, however, are unconvinced a summit with Russia and Ukraine would happen. (Bloomberg via Daily Maverick)

Indeed, Russia has already said it will not attend a second peace summit because Moscow’s proposals will be ignored.

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“We’re aware of the intentions of the Kyiv regime and its Western curators to ‘rehabilitate’ themselves for the failed 'peace summit’… and try to hold a similar event [and] invite Russia,” Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told state-run news agency RIA Novosti.

He said Kyiv would "consciously disregarding other initiatives to resolve the Ukrainian crisis,” adding that Russia will not "accept these ultimatums and won’t participate in such ‘summits.'" 

Some argued Ukraine's push for another round of peace talks is motivated by the prospect of former President Trump getting back in the White House.