In Burgenstock, world leaders seek a peace framework for Ukraine, without Russia 

The Summit on Peace in Ukraine Conference raises questions over Swiss neutrality with the omission of Vladimir Putin from the talks which will see Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in attendance drumming up support for his war-torn country

A 20 minutes drive from Lucerne, a key city in central Switzerland buzzing with tourists, is a heavenly resort nestled in the Alps and overlooking lake Luzern from high above. This largest integrated modern hotel resort in the country, rebuilt in 2014, has its roots dating back to the 18th century. It has played hosts to celebrities and world leaders. Jawaharlal Nehru and Jimmy Carter holidayed here; Audrey Hepburn tied the knot in a chapel here. The resort, at times, has played peacemaker, too.

The annual Bilderberg Meetings under Chatham House rules to foster dialogue between Europe and North America in the 1950s took off from here. Turkish and Greek Cypriots negotiators sat across the table in the resort in 2004 to discuss the issue of accession to the EU. These past few days residents here have been subjected to the constant whirring of helicopters as the lake resort gears up to welcome world leaders for the Summit on Peace in Ukraine on June 15-16.

Barbed wire, steel fencing, aerial reconnaissance, surveillance on the lake and some 4,000 troops deployed to seal off Burgenstock as it prepares to welcome dozens of world leaders, including Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European heads of governments and states who will fly in from the G-7 summit in Italy. An emergency communications centre to track cyber-threats and fake news aimed at derailing the conference is also in motion.

Between frequent bouts of sunshine and rains, the weather here is as erratic as the expectations of any concrete political outcomes from the summit. Of the 160 invitations sent out, some 90 countries and international organisations have confirmed their attendance, including several heads of states and governments. The conference aims to inspire a ‘future peace process’ framework building on a series of closed door consultations by numerous National Security Advisers in Jeddah, Malta and Davos, following the first Copenhagen meet in June 2023.

But the most notable absentee on the table raises doubts about what it can achieve. President Vladimir Putin of Russia has not been invited to the summit that will talk about the Russia-Ukraine war. Conspicuous in his absence will be U.S. President Joe Biden, who will be represented by Vice-President Kamala Harris and NSA Jake Sullivan. China has chosen to stay away. And so has Brazil, the current chair of G-20.

“This is like having an engagement party without one of the party getting engaged or a wedding without the bridegroom. Without the equal participation of Russia, this is not an initiative which can be sustained,” says retired diplomat Asoke Mukerji, who served as India’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York.

Language is not the only barrier to start conversations on the war and political turmoil in Europe with residents of Lucerne or strangers in coffee shops. The Swiss do not talk politics easily. An Irish woman who runs a coffee-cum-book store made Switzerland her home more than three decades ago. She says the Swiss believe in ‘neutrality’. “They (Swiss) are interested in politics and are keenly watching the summit. But they will not talk in the open and rather keep their political opinions to themselves since this is a neutral country.”