MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin on Friday announced Russia’s willingness to negotiate peace if Ukraine abandons NATO aspirations and withdraws forces from disputed regions.
Putin’s remarks precede a pivotal summit in Switzerland, with over 90 participants, aimed at charting a path to Ukrainian peace. Notably excluded, Russia dismisses the event as futile.
In its third year, the conflict sees Russia controlling a significant portion of Ukrainian territory. Ukraine insists on Russian troop withdrawal for lasting peace and territorial integrity restoration.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman has dismissed a US-Ukraine security agreement announced during the G7 summit as “just pieces of paper”. Maria Zakharova was also cited by Russian news agencies as saying: “These deals are about nothing. They do not have lawful force.”
On Thursday, Ukraine inked security deals with the US and Japan, the latest in a series of similar agreements struck with its Western allies including France and Britain.
The documents include pledges to continue military and financial help for Ukraine over the long term against the Russian military operation. Zakharova stated the agreements were aimed mainly at “showing nationals who have remained in Ukraine… that the international seems to still be with them”. “In reality, they also avoid any lawful responsibility for the future of Ukraine,” she added.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday the 10-year deal signed with the US was a “bridge” to NATO membership for his nation.
World leaders will join Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky at a summit this weekend to explore means of ending the deadliest war in Europe since World War II, but Moscow is not invited and the event will fall short of Kyiv’s aim of isolating Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron, US Vice President Kamala Harris, and the leaders of Germany, Britain, Italy, Japan and Canada are among those set to attend the June 15-16 meeting at the Swiss mountaintop resort of Buergenstock.
Turkiye and Hungary, which similarly maintain cordial relations with Russia, will be represented by their Ministers for Foreign Affairs. But despite months of intense Kyiv lobbying, some others will not be there, most particularly China, a key consumer of Russian oil and supplier of goods that help Russia maintain its manufacturing base.
