Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that Ukraine would initiate peace talks immediately if Russia withdraws from all Ukrainian territory. This statement was made in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin at a peace summit held in Switzerland.
The summit, which aimed to boost efforts to end the war in Ukraine, concluded on Sunday, June 16. Representatives from dozens of countries affirmed their commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Putin criticized the summit, calling it a diversion and accusing it of misrepresenting the causes of the Ukrainian crisis. He suggested that the summit’s discussions were misguided.
China, Russia’s closest ally, did not attend the summit. This absence weakened Ukraine’s attempt to gain support from major countries in the “global South” to isolate Russia.
Despite the attendance of 90 countries, the summit did not manage to convince significant non-aligned states to endorse the final statement. Additionally, no country volunteered to host another meeting.
However, the conference allowed Ukraine to highlight the backing it receives from Western allies, which Zelensky states is crucial for continuing the fight against Russia.
“We are responding to Russia‘s full-scale invasion of Ukraine not only with a full-scale defence of human life but also with full-scale diplomacy,”
Zelensky said,
“Russia can start negotiations tomorrow if they pull out of our territories.”
Zelensky’s offer followed Putin’s promise on Friday to ceasefire and start negotiations if Ukraine withdrew troops from the four regions annexed by Russia in 2022 and gave up its NATO membership aspirations.
Zelensky dismissed Putin’s demands, refusing to surrender more Ukrainian territory.
