“It doesn’t make sense to have Russia at the table if you cannot ensure that they act in good faith" – Kuleba
Photo: EPA/UPG
According to Dmytro Kuleba, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, there is no point in engaging in negotiations with Russia, as it is unlikely to act in good faith. The Global Peace Summit aims to unite countries that share similar values.
Foreign Policy reports this.
"So we know that it doesn't make sense to have Russia at the table if you cannot ensure that they act in good faith. There are only two ways to bring Russia to a situation where it will act in good faith. The first one is success on the battlefield, and the second one is having a coalition of countries who share the same principles and approaches," he said.
Therefore, according to the minister, Russia is not expected to participate in the Global Peace Summit.
"Because the goal of this summit is to unite countries who share principles and approaches that they will build further actions on," he emphasized.
Kuleba added that communication with Russia can take place only after the summit, and it can become part of the negotiations.
"In the end, you can't end the war without both sides," he emphasized.
For reference:
As reported by Rubryka, in January 2024, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and the President of the Swiss Confederation, Viola Amherd, agreed to start preparations for holding the Global Peace Summit at the level of state leaders in Switzerland.
On February 25, the head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak, stated that Russia would be permitted to participate in the global peace summit; however, they would not attend the first meeting.
He did not rule out the participation of Russia in the second such summit:
"When this plan is created without any intermediaries somewhere under the table, and openly and with the participation of all the countries that will walk this path with us, at the second summit, there may be such a situation that we will invite representatives of the Russian Federation. They will be presented, and this plan is given in the event that whoever represents the aggressor country at that time really wants to end this war and return to just peace."
The Swiss government has announced that it will be hosting a two-day high-level conference on June 15–16 to facilitate peace talks for Ukraine. Russia will not participate in the event.
According to the Swiss media, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, may participate in the Global Peace Summit.
