Colombian President pulls out of Peace Summit over conflict concerns

The President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, canceled his participation in the peace summit in Switzerland regarding the situation in Ukraine. As reported by Colombian media, the leader stated that the meeting favors escalating the conflict instead of resolving it.

According to Gustavo Petro, the peace summit that commenced on Saturday in Switzerland is not "a free forum to discuss the path to peace between Russia and Ukraine", and its "conclusions have already been predetermined," reported the newspaper "El Tiempo."

I am cancelling my trip to the meeting in Switzerland and ask Europe to talk how to end the war, not prolong it, he stated.

The President of Colombia ends his visit to Sweden on Saturday. He added that he plans to return to the country the same day.

According to the initial plan, the President of Colombia was supposed to meet with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, in Switzerland. The Infobae portal provided this information.

Zelensky announced on Friday that one hundred countries and international organizations would participate in the conference in Switzerland. He emphasized that they are all united by the common goal of "just and lasting peace."

It is worth noting that the President of Colombia, for a long time, refused to condemn Russia for the invasion of Ukraine. However, in June 2023, after the Russian missile attack on a civilian target in Kramatorsk, which injured three Colombians, he ordered a formal protest to be sent to Moscow.