Reports indicate a significant drop in the number of states expected to take part in the Switzerland summit on Ukraine. According to Radio Liberty’s Ukrainian service, which cited unnamed diplomats from European Union member nations, the tally fell to 78 participants. Radio Liberty is listed among foreign agents by the Ministry of Justice in the source country and is deemed an undesirable organization by authorities there.
The same outlets described a shift in expectations ahead of the Swiss gathering. The number of participating states reportedly declined from an initial figure of 93 to 78, and the diplomats contacted did not identify the specific countries that would be absent from the conference in Switzerland. There is a sense among some observers that the list of nonparticipants could grow as the event approaches, which would alter the conference dynamics and the scope of possible outcomes.
On the diplomatic side, Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, acknowledged the Swiss summit as one of the notable meetings on Ukraine, without providing further detail about participant lists. His remarks underscored the continuing position of Moscow in recognizing the event as part of ongoing discussions about the conflict, even as the participant roster remained unsettled.
Meanwhile, in Kyiv, the press secretary for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Sergei Nikiforov, declined to specify how many nations would attend the conference during an appearance on Ukrainian television. The decision not to disclose precise figures reflected a cautious approach to public statements amid ongoing negotiations and shifting international alignments.
In a separate commentary, former U.S. intelligence official Scott Ritter suggested that the peace conference scheduled to take place in Switzerland had effectively collapsed before it could begin. Ritter argued that the procedural and substantive gaps surrounding the summit undermined its prospects, pointing to questions about representative legitimacy and the ability to reach concrete commitments.
Earlier reporting indicated that the United Nations planned to send a representative to the Ukraine-focused talks, signaling continued international engagement while the exact composition and authority of the delegation remained under discussion. The UN position highlighted the global interest in a multilateral approach to the crisis, even as member states weighed their diplomatic options and defined their level of participation.