"They didn't invite us."

Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 11 criticized the planned Ukraine peace talks in Switzerland, warning that Moscow would not accept any coercive plans that disregarded Russia's interests.

Earlier, on April 10, the Swiss government announced that it would host a high-level international conference in June to help chart a path toward peace in Ukraine after more than two years of fighting, and expressed hope that Russia might one day join the peace process.

According to Swiss broadcaster RTS, the conference in Burgenstock will be held from June 15-16. However, Swiss officials have not yet confirmed any specific dates.

Putin stated that Russia had not been invited to the event in June, and pointed out that Switzerland itself acknowledged that the peace process could not happen without Russia.

“They didn’t invite us there,” President Putin told the President of Belarus, who was visiting Moscow. “Moreover, they think there’s nothing for us to do there, but at the same time they say nothing can be decided without us. It’s ridiculous and also sad.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, April 11, 2024. Photo: Los Angeles Times

Russia has rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's peace formula, which demands Moscow withdraw its troops, compensate Ukraine, and face international court proceedings for its actions.

Speaking at a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at the Kremlin on April 11, Putin said that Russia was ready to negotiate but would never accept “any plan that is not in line with reality.”

Putin asserted that Russian forces have been gaining the upper hand on the front lines since Ukraine's defeat in its counteroffensive last summer.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned last week that upcoming talks aimed at ending the fighting in Ukraine could only succeed if Moscow's interests were taken into account, while dismissing the planned peace talks as a Western ploy to garner broader international support for Kyiv.

The Ukraine Peace Summit is scheduled to be held at the Bürgenstock Hotel atop Lake Lucerne in central Switzerland in June 2024. Photo: Swiss Info

Swiss President Viola Amherd said there is no guarantee the upcoming Ukraine Peace Summit in her country will be successful, and believes it will not lead to an immediate peace agreement.

"We will not sign the peace plan at this conference. We thought there would be a second conference, but we want to start the process with this one," Amherd told reporters in Bern on April 10.

Switzerland is still campaigning for as many countries as possible to participate in the conference. Earlier, on April 6th, Ukrainian President Zelensky stated that he hoped 80-100 countries would join. He said, "I believe this is the minimum number of countries that can try to force Russia to achieve a fair peace."

US President Joe Biden is reportedly likely to travel to Switzerland to attend a peace conference, the Swiss German-language daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) reported on April 9, citing several reliable sources .

Minh Duc (According to AP, TASS, Swiss Info)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/ong-putin-noi-ve-hoi-nghi-hoa-binh-ukraine-ho-khong-moi-chung-toi-a658687.html