Russia refuses to attend peace conference in Switzerland.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow has no intention of participating in the Swiss-organized peace conference on the conflict in Ukraine, even if officially invited.

Russian soldiers in Ukraine. Photo: SPUTNIK

The official response came after recent media reports that China and Switzerland were working to invite Russia to participate in negotiations. Last month, Switzerland announced plans to hold a peace summit this summer. No specific date has been set, and the list of participating countries has not yet been revealed. However, Ukraine believes Russia can only be invited if it agrees to a series of preconditions.

According to Russia Today, Maria Zakharova accused the forum of being solely dedicated to promoting the "Zelensky peace formula" (referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky). Zakharova explained that Zelensky's plan includes several unrealistic provisions such as: withdrawing Russian troops to the Ukrainian border as it was in 1991, holding Moscow accountable and demanding compensation, as well as provisions on food, nuclear safety, energy, ecology, and humanitarian issues.

According to Zakharova, Kyiv's basic demands remain unchanged, while Russia's legitimate interests are being ignored. "Therefore, the upcoming conference is a continuation of the old, discredited, and dead-end format of peace talks," Maria Zakharova said.

A spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Moscow is convinced that "Switzerland is unlikely to serve as a platform for various peacekeeping efforts, as this requires a neutral position that Bern has lost."

Peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv were held in the spring of 2022, but broke down when both sides accused each other of making unrealistic demands. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Ukrainian delegation had initially agreed to some of Russia's terms during talks in Istanbul in March of that year, but then abruptly abandoned the agreement. The Kremlin has repeatedly stressed that it remains open to meaningful discussions and blames the Ukrainian authorities for a lack of diplomatic breakthrough.

KHANH MINH

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nga-tu-choi-du-hoi-nghi-hoa-binh-o-thuy-si-post730701.html