The first inaugural Peace Summit at the level of heads of state will initiate work on a special document - a plan to achieve a just peace in Ukraine based on the points of the Peace Formula. This document can be handed over to the Russian representative at the second Peace Summit if he is ready to accept it and end the war. This was emphasized by Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak during a panel discussion at the "Ukraine. Year 2024" forum.
"We had a task from the President to build relations with the whole world, to explain what Russia's war against Ukraine is, and, of course, if not to win them over to our side, then to make sure that countries know the truth, exert pressure on Russia, isolate Russia," said Andriy Yermak.
In addition, according to him, Ukraine had to offer the world its own peace plan in order not to consider peace initiatives of other countries with unacceptable conditions for our country.
"This is our absolute right, because the war is taking place in Ukraine. Therefore, the plan, which will show the whole world the prospect of building a new architecture, was supposed to appear in Ukraine," he said.
The Peace Formula is also an opportunity for Ukraine to participate in ensuring global security in various areas: food, environmental, nuclear, etc.
Therefore, as emphasized by Andriy Yermak, the 10 points of the Peace Formula are not accidental, but are based on international law and the principles of the UN Charter, and each of these points in one way or another reflects the resolutions of the UN General Assembly that have already been voted on.
"Therefore, it is very difficult to argue with this plan, because it would mean that someone is arguing with the foundations of international law," he added.
In his opinion, the only country that does not agree with the Peace Formula is Russia, because it is the aggressor country that started the war against Ukraine.
According to Andriy Yermak, as part of the work to implement the Peace Formula, ten meetings have already taken place at the level of ambassadors and diplomatic representatives of states and international organizations accredited in Ukraine, and four meetings at the level of national security advisers and political advisers to world leaders: in Copenhagen, Jeddah, Malta, and Davos. The latest meeting was attended by representatives of 81 countries and international organizations.
"Each such meeting revealed the content of the Peace Formula to the countries. And the result was the creation of working groups on each of the points, which were joined by representatives of the countries," said the Head of the Presidential Office and added that a special achievement was the involvement of representatives of the Global South: Nigeria, Argentina, Mexico and others.
According to him, these working groups of countries are working to ensure that each point of the Peace Formula is transformed into specific joint developments based on the Ukrainian Peace Formula. At the meetings of the advisors in Malta and Davos, the developments on each of the 10 points were presented.
"We have completed our work. And the next day, during a meeting between the President of Ukraine and the President of Switzerland, they agreed to hold the first inaugural Peace Summit at the level of leaders," said Andriy Yermak.
According to the Head of the President's Office, the inaugural Peace Summit will be held in Switzerland in the near future, and invitations to it will be sent to more than 160 countries.
"It is very important to have a personal meeting of the leaders, which will record what we have been talking about all these months at the level of ambassadors and advisors. Because different countries are gathered around the table, with different motivations and different opinions on how to end this war and return to a sustainable and just peace. But what are they united on? And this is very important. They all respect our independence, our territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders of 1991, they all respect our sovereignty. They are ready to engage in various forms to ensure that all this is restored," emphasized Andriy Yermak.
Therefore, according to him, work is underway on a document that could result from the first Peace Summit.
"After the first meeting, we are taking some time to prepare a joint plan of responsible countries based on our Formula, which will provide for the restoration (of Ukraine's territorial integrity - Ed.) and overcoming the crises created by this war," said Andriy Yermak.
The Head of the President's Office emphasized that representatives of Russia could be invited to the second global Peace Summit and this joint plan could be presented to them if "whoever represents the aggressor country at that time wants to end this war and return to a just peace."
As for security commitments, Andriy Yermak noted that conclusions have been drawn from the previous experience of the Budapest Memorandum and the Minsk agreements, so bilateral agreements must contain legal obligations.
"We believe in specifics, we believe in legal obligations, and this is what the agreements we have already signed with six countries are based on. Yesterday we signed two new agreements – with Canada and Italy. I think several more countries will sign these agreements in the near future," he said.
The Head of the President's Office noted that each of these bilateral agreements enshrines support for Ukraine's future in NATO and the European Union.
"We see this as an intermediate stage prior to full membership in NATO. And this is a concrete work on our accession to the Alliance. Because each such agreement contains confirmation of support for Ukraine's accession on this path and the adaptation of legislation, military industry, and military potential to NATO standards. Therefore, the signing of these agreements is already an open process of Ukraine's accession to the Alliance," summarized Andriy Yermak.
NATO Secretary General in 2009-2014, former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who is co-chair of the International Working Group on Ukraine's Security and Euro-Atlantic Integration, noted during the video call that our country has withstood a full-scale Russian invasion, repelled the aggressor and has been preserving its independence for two years. So now Ukraine's allies must demonstrate that all the efforts of the Ukrainian people were not in vain.
"We must provide Ukraine with everything it needs to defeat Russia on the battlefield," he said, emphasizing once again that it is inappropriate to restrict the supply of long-range weapons to our country.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that the signed bilateral agreements on security commitments will clearly demonstrate to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the partners will support Ukraine for as long as it takes.
"Security commitments are also meant to meet the security needs of Ukraine on its way to the European Union and NATO. After all, Europe's security also depends on Ukraine's accession to the EU and NATO. And this is what we are working on now," said the former NATO Secretary General.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen also expressed his belief that the path to a lasting peace requires Russia's defeat and Ukraine's integration into the North Atlantic Alliance.
