G7 leaders back ‘Olympic truce’ for wars in Ukraine, Middle East

Burgenstock, Switzerland: Some of the world’s most powerful leaders have backed a French proposal for a temporary halt to several conflicts around the globe, including in Ukraine, during next month’s Olympic Games.

Leaders of the Group of Seven, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, urged “all countries to observe the Olympic Truce individually and collectively”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (centre-right) with heads of states after a group picture during the summit on peace in Ukraine in Switzerland.Credit: Michael Buholzer

Paris will host the Games from July 26 to August 11, followed by the Paralympics from 28 August to 8 September, and French President Emmanuel Macron is pushing for pauses in Russia’s war on Ukraine as well as the conflicts in the Middle East and Sudan.

“It was a French request, a good request, it was unanimously included,” Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who chaired the G7, said during her final news conference at the summit in southern Italy.

The statement came as more than 90 nations gathered at a Swiss Alpine resort to plot the first steps towards peace in Ukraine, even though the peace summit is unlikely to bring any major breakthroughs because Russia isn’t attending.

The presidents of Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Kenya and Somalia joined dozens of Western heads of states, other senior government leaders and high-level envoys at the meeting, in the hopes that Russia could join in one day.

Russia has previously reacted coolly to the proposal to temporarily stop its offensive in Ukraine, saying Kyiv might use it as an opportunity to regroup and rearm.

The UN in November proposed the duration of the Olympic truce, from one week before the start of the Games until one week after the closing of the Paralympics.

Seeking to suspend armed conflicts under an Olympic truce is a longstanding tradition, dating back to the ancient Olympic Games in Olympia in 776 BC. It aimed to ensure a halt to all hostilities, allowing the safe passage and participation of athletes and spectators.

Pope Francis, writing in a foreword to a new book this week said the Games in Paris were an opportunity for peace in “the particularly dark historical moment we are living”.

“My hope is that sport can concretely build bridges, break down barriers, and foster peaceful relations,” he said.

“The true Olympic and Paralympic spirit is an antidote to the tragedy of war and an opportunity to redeem oneself by ending violence.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is using the peace summit at the Swiss Alpine resort to home in on three of the 10 points in his peace plan: nuclear safety, food security and the return of Ukrainians, including children, being held by Russia.

He said Moscow was not invited to the Swiss summit because the Kremlin was not interested in peace.

“Ukraine never wanted this war. It’s a criminal and absolutely unprovoked aggression by Russia,” he said. “There is no Russia here – why? Because if Russia was interested in peace, there would be no war.

“We must decide together what a just peace means for the world and how it can be achieved in a truly lasting way.”

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the conference “just another ploy to divert everyone’s attention”.

He put forward a so-called peace plan ahead of the summit which included Ukraine surrendering almost 20 per cent of its territory and abandoning its aspirations to join NATO, and the West lifting all sanctions and recognising part of Ukraine as Russian.

China, which backs Russia, joined scores of countries that sat out the conference. Beijing has said any peace process would require the participation of Russia and Ukraine, and has floated its own ideas for peace.

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