- A Swiss-organised peace summit is scheduled for 15 and 16 June but without the US and China in the room, the summiteers may just be wasting their time
By John Sparks, International correspondent @sparkomat
If the war in Ukraine was fought in the media alone, the Russians would have been repelled months, or even years, ago.
While the Kremlin funds “debate shows” with far-right nationalists spouting historical theories from the 19th century, the Ukrainians fight their corner with slickly-produced content highlighting every aspect of their defence.
Want to see the Ukrainians blowing up Russian tanks? That will be on X.
The petition to send clapped out cars in London to the Ukrainian military? Head to “Insta”.
The passionate address where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks from a burnt-out book-making factory, pleading with Joe Biden and Xi Jinping to turn up at a peace summit?
That dropped this morning.
Mr Zelenskyy used the still-smouldering factory in Kharkiv as his presidential set after it had been demolished in a Russian missile strike on Saturday.
As many as 50 of the plant’s 400 employees were on-site at the time, although the number killed has not been confirmed. Some 50,000 books were incinerated in the attack.
In his address, Mr Zelenskyy asked people to imagine what it is like to live in Kharkiv, located 30km (18.6 miles) from the Russian border.
“What does it mean for Kharkiv? A third year of constant terror, more than a million people in this city, and every night and every day Russian army (is) shelling the city…”
“For them it is a pleasure to burn.”
Here, Mr Zelenskyy uses one weapon his country does not face a shortage of – his TV-honed charisma – to make the pitch.
“I am appealing to the leaders of the world who are still undecided … on the global peace summit, to President Biden, the leader of the United States, and President Xi, the leader of China, we do not want the UN Charter to be burned down just like these books,” said Mr Zelenskyy, gesturing towards the floor.
The Swiss-organised peace summit is scheduled for 15 and 16 June near Lucerne.
Around 80 nations have confirmed their attendance, with the participants declaring their intention “to find a common pathway” towards peace.
However, it seems US President Joe Biden has decided not to turn up, despite the fact that he will be finishing a G7 meeting in Italy at the same time.
Instead, Mr Biden is expected to attend a campaign fundraiser in California, along with George Clooney, Julia Roberts and other big-ticket stars.
Why then, is the Ukrainian leader making a video from the warzone about the guest list for the Swiss summit?
It seems clear that the White House has already rebuffed the invitation via diplomatic channels.
Therefore, Mr Zelenskyy’s choosing other means – public means – to drum up some pressure.
Mr Biden’s non-appearance also tells us that a photo-op with Mr Zelenskyy no longer has the currency that it once had in the US.
A fiery presidential campaign has made assistance to Ukraine a key battleground issue and the White House may be tailoring a Zelenskyy-free spiel.
As for President Xi, well, he made it clear during a visit to France this month that the war in Ukraine has nothing to do with him – despite the fact that China buys huge amounts of Russian oil and gas while simultaneously supplying computer chips, aircraft parts and other “dual-use” goods.
A televised invitation from the rubble of Kharkiv is unlikely to move him.
Mr Zelenskyy probably knows all this and we find him resorting to something more precise and unarguable during his Kharkiv monologue. The law.
“Russia is run by men who want to make it a norm … (to erase) national borders through war,” Mr Zelenskyy said.
They use weapons of “indiscriminate destruction” and “anyone from any city of the world, from Sao Paulo to Harbin” would experience this as terror, he added.
The problem with international law, however, is that there is no one around to enforce it.
More troubling, perhaps, is the way key tenets are dismissed when the situation suits.
That’s why Ukraine needs as many countries as possible to turn up in Switzerland.
Only a mighty and committed majority possess the power to force the Russians into a retreat.
Without the US and China in the room, the summiteers may just be wasting their time.
@Sky News