VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Talks on Ukraine’s plan for peace commenced in Malta on Saturday, gathering more than 65 countries, except for Russia, according to Maltese and Ukrainian officials.
The two-day meeting of national security delegates represents the third round of such talks in recent months. Ukraine views this gathering as an opportunity to garner support for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 10-point peace plan from nations globally, particularly with the Middle East conflict potentially diverting attention away from Ukraine.
Russia has criticized the initiative as biased and declined to participate in the meetings.
“Ukraine’s diplomatic efforts are yielding results, as international backing for the Ukrainian peace proposal is growing,” emphasized , Head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, in a statement shared on X — formerly known as Twitter — before the opening session, highlighting the significant international presence.
In June, the initial round of talks in Copenhagen involved only 15 participants, which increased to 43 for the second round in Jeddah in August.
During his address at the conference, Yermak observed that as more states engage in the development of Zelenskyy’s plan, “Russia will find itself compelled to yield to the international community. It will have no choice but to accept our shared terms.”
He further outlined that the weekend talks would specifically address five of the ten points in the plan: nuclear safety, energy security, food security, the release of prisoners of war and deportees, and the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Malta’s Foreign Minister, Ian Borg, emphasized in his opening remarks that the substantial turnout at the summit demonstrated “confidence in Malta as a peace mediator,” reaffirming the country’s support for Ukraine.
“Despite being a neutral state, we cannot stay silent in the face of injustice, atrocities, and abuses of power in this region,” Borg stated. “Malta believes in multilateralism under the framework of international law and the U.N. Charter.”
