Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has once again made headlines with his dismissive remarks about the upcoming Ukraine peace talks in Switzerland. In a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow on Thursday, Putin mocked the scheduled round of talks, warning that Moscow will not accept any enforced plans that ignore its interests.
Switzerland’s government announced on Wednesday that it will host a high-level international conference in June to help pave the way for peace in Ukraine after more than two years of conflict. However, Putin criticized the fact that Russia has not been invited to participate in the talks, despite Swiss recognition that a peace process cannot move forward without Russia’s involvement.
“They aren’t inviting us there. Moreover, they think there is nothing for us to do there, but at the same time they say that it’s impossible to decide anything without us. It would have been funny if it weren’t so sad,” Putin remarked.
Russia has rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s peace formula, which includes demands for Moscow to withdraw its troops, pay compensation to Ukraine, and face an international tribunal for its actions. Putin has maintained that Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine was necessary to protect Russian interests and prevent Ukraine from joining NATO.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has also expressed skepticism about the prospects for successful negotiations, warning that any peace talks must take Moscow’s interests into account. Despite international pressure, Putin remains steadfast in his stance, asserting that Russia will never accept any peace plans that do not align with its own terms.