More than 50 countries have confirmed their participation in the Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland, with a month to go before its scheduled start.
However, one particularly important country has not yet said it will attend.
"China has not yet signed up," admitted Swiss President Viola Amherd on Wednesday after a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. "We assume that there will be changes to the list of participants right up to the last minute."
Switzerland has invited around 160 countries for June 15 and 16 to discuss possible ways to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine. Russia, which attacked Ukraine more than two years ago, has not received an invitation. Ukraine, on the other hand, is taking part.
It is now seen as crucial for the success of the conference that not only Ukraine's Western allies are present, but also influential countries that are friends of Russia - above all China, Moscow's most important ally.
However, the G20 states India, Brazil and South Africa also continue to have close ties with Moscow. Amherd emphasized how important the participation of non-European states was to her. Around half of the pledges had come from such countries.
Scholz has already announced his participation and also promoted the conference during his visit to Beijing in April. However, he only agreed with Chinese President Xi Jinping to remain in dialogue about the meeting near Lucerne.
Putin will be in Beijing on Thursday and Friday to meet Xi. "Of course, this is a meeting that we are following closely," said Scholz. He would like the talks to bring Putin closer to the realization "that he has to move, that he has to withdraw troops and open up the possibility of a just peace that is not a dictated peace".