A former high-ranking Swiss diplomat, along with international experts, has developed a concept for a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict. The so-called “Ceasefire Toolkit” was worked on over two years and could play a decisive role in the peace process.
Thomas Greminger, director of the Geneva Center for Security Policy, presented the concept in Geneva this week. Representatives from all key conflict parties, including delegates from Ukraine, Russia, the US and Europe, attended an informal meeting. Greminger regularly organizes such gatherings, but this one drew attention after news agency Reuters reported on it, giving the impression of a secret meeting.
The discussions took place within the framework of “Track-II diplomacy” where non-state experts, often with close ties to government officials, lead inofficial negotiations.
“It’s usually former government members or representatives from think tanks” Greminger explains.
The advantage is that, without official constraints, they can openly and constructively discuss sensitive issues.
The “Ceasefire Toolkit” compiles proven methods for implementing and maintaining a ceasefire, based on experiences from past conflicts worldwide, including the Donbass conflict from 2014 to 2021.
Practical measures, such as establishing demilitarized zones along clearly defined lines, are crucial for success, but often neglected in practice, Greminger notes. The paper also includes proposals for effective ceasefire monitoring.
Whether a ceasefire is now more realistic, Greminger left open. However, he expressed concern over US President Donald Trump’s recent statements after the Riyadh summit, where Trump claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a dictator and Ukraine is partly responsible for the war. Greminger called this a clear distortion of history.
According to Greminger, the informal discussions in Geneva had no direct impact on the official meeting between Russian and US government representatives in Riyadh. Nevertheless, it is crucial that the developed concepts reach the right decision-makers. He believes that both US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg and high-ranking representatives from Russia, Ukraine and Europe received the document.
The Swiss initiative shows that alternative diplomacy can provide valuable impulses for conflict resolution. Whether the “Ceasefire Toolkit” will lead to a tangible ceasefire remains to be seen.