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From Switzerland to Qatar and…/ The world awaits the Putin-Zelensky meeting, here are the places where the long-awaited summit could take place
2025-08-21 20:43:21 / BOTA
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pursuing direct talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, almost since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin has always refused. But with a recent push from Donald Trump, the possibility of a meeting is closer than ever.
The question now is not only when, but also where?
The International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Putin for the abduction of Ukrainian children limits his choice of location, as he risks arrest in any of the court's 125 member states if he trespasses on their territory.
Some of them are willing to make an exception, however, and have promised not to arrest Putin if he comes to a meeting that could end the war against Ukraine.
Switzerland is a possibility. The country's foreign minister said the country would be ready to host Putin for any possible peace talks despite the ICJ arrest warrant.
Despite its neutral status, Switzerland is a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the court, but Ignazio Cassis said that provided Putin came for peace purposes, the country could welcome him.
"This has to do with our diplomatic role, with international Geneva as the (European) headquarters of the United Nations," Cassis said.
French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly supports the idea of Geneva as a possible location for the talks after a meeting at the White House with European leaders on Monday.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker offered his country – also a signatory to the ICC – as a possible meeting place, saying Vienna supports any initiative that leads to a just and lasting peace that protects the security interests of Ukraine and Europe.
"As proud hosts of the OSCE and many other international organizations, we are ready to offer our best services," he said in a post on X.
A country in the Middle East could be a strong place for compromise.
In March, Saudi Arabia hosted a US delegation for talks, first with Ukrainian officials and then with Russian ones.
Qatar has a seat at the international table and is often called upon to be a preferred mediator in several international conflicts.
These mediation efforts involve Russia and Ukraine, particularly when it comes to the return of Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russia.
Similar to Qatar, the UAE has deliberately shaped its role as a diplomatic broker, a state capable of moving between rival powers while maintaining credibility with both, says Euronews' Dubai correspondent Toby Gregory, adding that this strategy has extended directly to Russia's war in Ukraine.
Since Zelenskyy became Ukraine's president in 2019, his direct communications with Putin have been limited as Russia had already occupied Ukrainian territory in the east and Crimea.
The two presidents have had only two phone calls and a single face-to-face meeting, all in 2019.
Zelenskyy and Putin met for the first and only time in Paris, during a Normandy Format Summit, in the presence of the leaders of Germany and France.
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The Ukraine summit that ignored the tough questions
Nga Owen Matthews, SPECTATOR
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