Switzerland and Ukraine are discussing preparations for the first peace summit, while Russia has consistently denied the conference.
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| Russia has repeatedly said it will not participate in a conference to discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's peace plan, scheduled to take place in Switzerland. (Source: Alamy Stock Photo) |
On April 8, the official website of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a notice stating that Bern and Kiev expect 80-100 countries to attend the Conference.
The leader believes that the Summit will be of great significance in bringing together Kiev's partners to build a roadmap for the next steps to end the conflict.
However, the announcement did not mention the list of countries that will attend, only saying that Ukraine is discussing with Switzerland about the guest list.
On the same day, Bloomberg reported that the conference may take place in Lucerne on June 16 and 17.
According to a Swiss Foreign Ministry official, the country is in close contact with China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Saudi Arabia, all countries from the Southern Hemisphere and considered to play an important role in bringing Russia into the process.
However, Russia continues to downplay the importance of the peace conference.
On April 9, TASS quoted the official in charge of the Second Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) under the Russian Foreign Ministry , Alexey Polishchuk, saying that Moscow regrets that Kiev and Western countries are still stubbornly continuing to prepare for the peace conference in Switzerland.
He reiterated that Russia has repeatedly stated that it will not participate in such meetings and "will not discuss the 'Zelensky formula'".
Besides, according to Mr. Polishchuk, Moscow is ready to discuss really serious proposals on Ukraine based on current realities and Russia's legitimate interests.
In addition, appreciating China's stance on the Ukrainian crisis, the Russian diplomat stated that Moscow considers Beijing's initiative on resolving the conflict more realistic than President Zelensky's "peace formula".
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