Zelensky headed to Switzerland to shore up international support

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to Switzerland on Monday, his office said, as Ukraine tries to ensure stable support from allies as the war against Russia nears its second anniversary.

Zelensky is due to "meet the heads of both houses of parliament, party leaders and the President of Switzerland, participate in the World Economic Forum" in Davos, said a statement from the presidency Sunday.

The announcement came hours after France and Germany reaffirmed their support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

"We are in full agreement... that we must support the Ukrainians for as long as necessary," French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne told journalists in Berlin, alongside German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

Baerbock said they would remain "on the side of Ukraine as long as necessary, until Russia has withdrawn" from Ukrainian territory. 

Sejourne's visit to Germany came a day after he travelled to Kyiv to meet Zelensky, his first official trip in his new role as foreign minister -- another clear signal to the international community.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had visited Ukraine just a day earlier, on Friday, announcing a fresh package of aid to the beleaguered country.

But the release of major blocks of funding, from Brussels and from Washington, have been tied up for political reasons. 

The European Union is due to hold a meeting on February 1 to try to unblock the 50-billion-euro aid package for Ukraine, vetoed by Hungary's leader Viktor Orban in December.

Talks on a peace deal

The conflicts in Ukraine and in Gaza look set to dominate the annual Davos forum in the Swiss Alps, with Ukrainian officials trying to stave off war fatigue among allies.

On Sunday, national security advisors from over 80 countries held talks there based on Zelensky's 10-point proposals for a lasting and just peace in Ukraine.

They were co-chaired by Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak, who heads Zelensky's office, and Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis.

The talks were particularly focused on the criteria to end hostilities, the withdrawal of Russian troops, justice for crimes committed and the prevention of further escalation.

Cassis said talks had to find a way to "include Russia in the process" at some point, but thus far, neither Kyiv nor Moscow has been prepared to take such a step.

In Romania, truck drivers and farmers slowed traffic around several cities, including the capital Bucharest, Sunday, some actions temporarily blocking the northeastern border with Ukraine.

It was the fifth day of protests over a range of issues, some of them related to the war in Ukraine.

Among their grievances are long waiting times at the borders and the slow payment of subsidies and compensation for those affected by the disruption caused by the import of Ukrainian cereals.

Russia's blockade of Ukraine's seaports on the Black Sea has transformed Romania into a hub for the transit of Ukrainian grain, especially through the port of Constanta.

Search for common ground

Yermak said the talks were open, constructive and detailed on the key principles in reaching a "comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine".

While there were differences on how to achieve peace, "we are very joined in the main principles if independence, territorial integrity, sovereignty and the norm of international law and the statutes of United Nations", he told a press conference.

Cassis said the involvement of Brazil, India and South Africa in the talks -- countries that sit alongside Russia in the BRICS group -- was highly important as they were still in dialogue with Moscow.

Yermak said Ukraine was looking at hosting summits with African countries and with South American nations to explain its position more broadly.

He added that he had not been pressed to offer Ukrainian territorial concessions, saying Ukraine was still fighting and will "obviously win this war".

In an earlier press conference, Cassis noted: "We will need to find a path to include Russia in the process. There will be no peace without Russia having its word to say."

However, he added that "every minute that we wait, dozens of civilians in Ukraine are killed or wounded. We have no right to wait forever".

Three previous national security advisor-level meetings have been held: in Copenhagen in June 2023, Jeddah in August and Malta in October.