Putin peace terms slammed at Ukraine summit
The leaders of Italy and Germany have strongly rejected ceasefire terms proposed by Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. This occurred as numerous countries convened at a two-day summit in Switzerland to discuss conflict resolution.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni dismissed the Russian president’s plan as “propaganda,” stating it essentially demanded Ukraine “withdraw from Ukraine.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz characterized the proposal as a “dictatorial peace.”
A draft declaration issued at the summit reaffirms Ukraine’s territorial integrity and unequivocally rejects any nuclear threats against the country.
On Friday, Mr. Putin claimed he would agree to a ceasefire if Ukraine withdrew troops from four regions that Russia partially occupies and claims to have annexed.
Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, told the BBC at the Swiss summit that there would be “no compromise on independence, sovereignty, or territorial integrity.”
Mr. Putin revealed his terms ahead of the two-day Summit on Peace in Ukraine, which aims to discuss the fundamental principles for ending the war.
Over 90 countries and global institutions are attending the event, marking the largest gathering for Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began.
But Russia was not invited, and China – a key ally of Russia – is not attending, so expectations of significant progress at this stage are low.
Commenting on Mr Putin’s proposal, Ms Meloni said: “It doesn’t seem particularly effective to me as a negotiation proposal to tell Ukraine that it must withdraw from Ukraine.”
Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak accused the Russian president of “spinning a phoney narrative about his willingness to negotiate”.
He added that countries helping Russia with weapon supplies “are on the wrong side of history”.
