Argentina's president to join Ukraine summit in Switzerland
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The Ukraine peace conference, aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine, will not include a main party in the conflict, Russia.
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Argentinian President Javier Milei at Florida International University Biscayne Bay Campus, in North Miami on April 11, 2024. (AFP via Getty Images)
Argentinian President Javier Milei has opted to attend the forthcoming Ukrainian peace conference in Switzerland, according to reports from the Clarin newspaper.
He will be accompanied by the economy and defense ministers. Initially, Argentine media indicated that Milei intended to skip the G7 summit in Italy and the Switzerland conference, along with other European events, to be in Argentina for national holidays. However, he later revised his schedule to include the G7 summit.
The newspaper reported on Tuesday that Milei has once more altered his plans at the eleventh hour and will also journey to Switzerland. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky purportedly conveyed a special message to Milei, urging him to at least be present at the opening ceremony of the conference.
Argentine Economy Minister Luis Caputo and Defense Minister Luis Petri will accompany Milei to Switzerland, as reported by the newspaper. It is also worth noting that Petri is anticipated to participate in a meeting of the contact group concerning Ukraine's defense.
Switzerland is set to host a high-level conference on Ukrainian peace at the Buergenstock resort near Lucerne from June 15-16. 90 countries and organizations have affirmed their attendance at the conference.
In April, Vladimir Khokhlov, the spokesperson for the Russian Embassy in Bern, informed Sputnik that Russia was not invited to the summit by Switzerland. He also stated that Moscow had no intentions of participating in the event even if an invitation was extended.
However, not inviting Russia to the meeting has stirred up controversy, as the country is a main party in the conflict and no peace process can be achieved without its active contribution.
Swiss upper house rejects $5.58bln aid plan for Ukraine
Switzerland's upper house of parliament declined on Monday a proposal for a five billion Swiss franc ($5.58 billion) aid allocation for Ukraine, which was part of a larger financial package. The rejection reportedly stemmed from concerns that the plan violated borrowing constraints in the neutral country.
Lawmakers voted against the 15 billion franc package, with 28 opposing and 15 voting in favor. The package also included 10.1 billion francs in supplementary funding for the country's armed forces.
The plan's failure had been widely expected in recent weeks, especially among right-leaning legislators who were particularly against it. Lawmakers contended that the package violated Switzerland's "debt brake" provision and rejected it two weeks before the Ukraine peace summit.
The package, which was endorsed by a separate parliamentary committee in April, was designed as an exceptional contribution to Switzerland's security and "peace in Europe," given the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Switzerland faces pressure from Western allies to increase assistance to Ukraine, while simultaneously contending with demands from right-wing nationalist lawmakers advocating for strict neutrality.
