While on a business trip to Bern, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy conveyed his appreciation to Switzerland, a nation of significant influence, for its aid to Ukraine and its endeavors to advance fairness and create a sustainable peace.

During a press conference in Bern, Zelenskyy expressed his appreciation for Switzerland’s unwavering political support of Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s invasion. He also thanked Switzerland for joining in on the European sanctions and for their collaboration on implementing the Peace Formula.

The two leaders have reached an agreement to initiate preparations for the upcoming Global Peace Summit on Ukraine, which will take place in Switzerland. The planning process for this event will commence as early as Tuesday.

Zelenskyy hailed Switzerland’s partnership in organizing the upcoming summit and also in holding a conference on Ukraine’s 10-point peace plan on Sunday, prior to the start of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Monday. Over 80 countries participated in Sunday’s convention.

China did not participate in the discussions.

At the press conference, Zelenskyy also called on China, a strong global power and ally of Russia, to take part in finding a solution to the conflict with Russia.

The speaker expressed a strong desire for China to participate in our plan for peace, as well as in the upcoming summit. However, not all aspects are within our control.

Zelenskyy did not give a detailed roster of those involved, but stated, “We welcome all nations that honor our autonomy and territorial integrity at the summit for peace.”

Zelenskyy also offered an invitation to nations from the Global South, including some with diplomatic ties to Russia.

He stated that we want representation from the Global South. It is crucial for us to demonstrate that the entire world condemns Russia’s aggression and supports a fair and peaceful resolution.

Russia, which is absent from the World Economic Forum being held in the Swiss resort of Davos this week, refuses to heed to Ukraine’s peace proposal.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on Monday that without our involvement, any talks about Ukraine in Davos will not yield any outcomes.

He stated that this was just empty conversation.

Peskov stated that Moscow will persist in its military campaign in Ukraine until all of its objectives are met.

Ukraine has declared that it will continue to pursue the removal of all Russian soldiers from its territory. Zelenskyy has issued a decree stating that any negotiations with Russia are prohibited.

The president of Ukraine stated that the leaders of Russia have the belief that their use of violence and terror can establish a different type of order, one that is predatory and lacks any regulations or security assurances.

The Kremlin frames the conflict in Ukraine as a larger global confrontation with the West, alleging that the West’s goal is to divide Russia and exploit its resources. The West refutes these claims and denies any intention of dismantling Russia.

Visit of North Korean delegation to Russia

At the moment, the foreign minister of North Korea is in Russia for a three-day trip, while there is increasing global worry about a potential arms agreement between the two nations.

According to the Korean Central News Agency, a delegation headed by Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui arrived in Moscow on Sunday. Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that Son Hui will hold a meeting with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on Tuesday.

The ministry stated that Choe was visiting at the invitation of Lavrov.

The US and South Korea have reported that North Korea supplied Russia with weapons, such as artillery and missiles, to assist in their conflict in Ukraine.

The Biden government claimed to possess proof that North Korea supplied missiles to Russia, which were subsequently used in Ukraine. In a collaborative announcement made last week, the United States, together with South Korea and their allies, asserted that North Korea traded missiles to Russia in return for valuable technical and military expertise.

War in Ukraine

On Monday, the Ukrainian air force reported that they had brought down a Russian Beriev A-50 surveillance aircraft and an Ilyushin Il-22 airborne command center in the Sea of Azov region.

These surveillance aircraft transmit intel to soldiers on the ground and assist in coordinating Russian military actions in Ukraine. If the reports of them being shot down are accurate, it would be a significant accomplishment for Ukraine in their defensive conflict against Russia, as the fighting in the front line is primarily focused on trench and artillery strategies.

General Valeryi Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, didn’t disclose how the two aircraft were downed. Ukraine has received sophisticated air defense systems from its Western allies.

Zaluzhnyi did not specify the location of the interceptions, but he shared a video on his social media post which displayed an airplane tracker that showed two objects disappearing over the Azov Sea. This body of water is situated between Ukraine and Russia, located to the north of the Crimean Peninsula and the Black Sea.

Reuters could not confirm his statement on its own.

Moscow has not yet released an official statement regarding the incident. According to Russian war bloggers, both planes were mistakenly fired upon by friendly forces, although they did not provide any proof to support this claim. They also asserted that the Il-22 sustained damage but was able to land safely.

The A-50, equipped with radar, usually has a team of 15 members.

In early 2019, the Russian defense ministry announced that the upgraded A-50 was actively involved in missions during the war. It is capable of detecting over 300 targets at once, as well as tracking a missile launch from a distance of 800 kilometers and identifying ground and sea targets up to 300 kilometers away.

The Ukrainian defense ministry valued the A-50 at $330 million. The Russian air force reportedly has been operating a fleet of nine such aircraft.

The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters provided some of the information used in this report.

Source: voanews.com