The Kremlin has made it clear that Ukraine peace talks scheduled for June in Switzerland will be meaningless without the participation of Russia. The high-level conference, set to take place on June 15-16 at the Burgenstock resort near Lucerne, will include Ukraine and up to 100 other countries, but Russia has been excluded.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized the importance of Russia’s involvement in the peace talks, stating that any discussions without Russia would be futile. Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova echoed this sentiment, criticizing the “Zelensky formula” proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops, financial reparations, and the creation of a special tribunal.
Zakharova also expressed distrust towards Switzerland, accusing the country of siding with Ukraine and excluding Russia from the European security system. Despite Switzerland’s efforts to attract China and other emerging powers to the conference, Zakharova insisted that Russia must be included in the talks for any progress to be made.
The Swiss government, which agreed to organize the peace conference during Zelensky’s visit in January, believes that there is sufficient international support for the event. However, the exclusion of Russia has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the talks.
As tensions continue to escalate in the region, the absence of Russia from the upcoming peace talks could hinder efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.