• Tuesday, 19 November 2024

Moscow won't join second Ukraine summit, says peace proposals ignored

Moscow won't join second Ukraine summit, says peace proposals ignored

Moscow, 11 July 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Russia is not planning to take part in any second peace summit that may be held on the Ukraine conflict, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said on Thursday.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galusin told the Russian state news agency Ria in Moscow that Kiev's ideas for a follow-up meeting to the conference in Switzerland in mid-June were known.

From Russia's point of view, the meeting would just again focus solely on the proposals of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, while other peace initiatives would be ignored.

"For us, such ultimatums are unacceptable and we will not take part in such summits," said Galusin, after a media report saying Ukraine is actively working on a second conference, this time involving Russia.

The report said any summit should be held before the US elections in November if possible, as support for Ukraine is uncertain following a possible victory for Republican former president Donald Trump, a critic of Ukraine and NATO.

An initial summit held in Switzerland last month was organized at Ukraine's request. It did not address peace negotiations but Kiev sought to mobilize international support for the principles on how to end the war.

Some 80 countries signed up to the final declaration, though it was not signed by some major powers that maintain good relations with Russia, such as India and Saudi Arabia, while China did not attend the conference. Saudi Arabia is seen as a possible host for a second meeting.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion Ukraine almost two and a half years ago.

Moscow repeats its alleged willingness to negotiate to end the hostilities but all the conditions it proposes would mean Ukraine making major concessions, losing large amounts of territory and conceding a degree of power to the Kremlin.

Kiev meanwhile is demanding the return of its occupied territories, including the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.