Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserts that intelligence indicates Russia’s plans to disrupt the Global Peace Summit scheduled for June in Switzerland. According to Zelenskyy, Russia has devised a strategy to undermine the meeting by reducing participating countries and obstructing peace efforts. Switzerland initially announced that the two-day international conference would take place at Lake Lucerne from June 15-16. Zelenskyy anticipates the presence of 80-100 countries, but official confirmations are yet to be released.
In a separate development, the United States has clandestinely supplied Ukraine with long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) for use against Russia. President Joe Biden approved the delivery in February and March, and Ukraine has reportedly utilized them twice. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan revealed the shipments at a press conference in Washington, citing Russia’s acquisition of weapons from other nations and its escalating attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. Sullivan declined to disclose the number of ATACMS provided or their inclusion in the latest military aid package approved on Wednesday. However, he expressed confidence in their efficacy, stating: “We’ve already sent some, we will send more now that we have additional both authority and money. I’m not going to get into specific numbers for operational reasons. I believe they will make a difference.”
