Ukraine surprised by Belarus's idea; does a second peace conference have a future?

On December 17, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry rejected Belarus's initiative for Minsk to participate in future Moscow-Kiev peace talks.

The previous day, Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Yury Ambrazevich said that Minsk was eager to participate in future peace talks on Ukraine and that any final agreements should take into account Belarus's interests.

Noting that Minsk had taken steps to prevent the escalation of violence in Ukraine from the very beginning of the conflict, Ambrazevich emphasized: "More than anyone else, Belarus is interested in resolving the conflict peacefully as soon as possible."

According to the New Voice of Ukraine , Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi accused Belarus of being a party to the conflict in Ukraine alongside Russia, and expressed "surprise" at Minsk's idea.

On the same day, December 17, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis confirmed that his country was actively coordinating with the European Union (EU), the United States, Russia, and the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations to organize a second peace conference on Ukraine.

Le Temps quoted Cassis as saying that signals from the US and President-elect Donald Trump "inspire cautious optimism."

Previously, on June 15-16, 2024, Switzerland hosted a summit on Ukraine at the Burgenstock resort on the outskirts of Lucerne. Representatives from more than 90 countries attended the event, half of whom were from Europe.

Russia did not receive an invitation, but its Foreign Ministry said it would not attend the conference even if invited.

The joint communiqué following the conference called on Russia to return control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to Ukraine, allow commercial access to ports in the Black Sea and Azov Sea, and release all prisoners of war.

Armenia, Bahrain, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Libya, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) did not sign the final declaration, while Iraq and Jordan withdrew their signatures.

Moscow has repeatedly emphasized that Russia is not rejecting a resolution to the conflict with Ukraine through political and diplomatic means. Russian President Vladimir Putin has set preconditions for resolving the situation in Ukraine, including Kyiv's withdrawal of troops from Donbass and Novorossiya, and abandonment of its plan to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Moscow also demanded that all Western sanctions be lifted and that Ukraine's non-aligned, non-nuclear status be guaranteed. However, Kyiv rejected these conditions.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/ukraine-ngac-nhien-voi-y-tuong-cua-belarus-hoi-nghi-hoa-binh-thu-2-lieu-co-tuong-lai-297769.html