Zelensky’s foreign minister earlier stressed the need for Russia’s inclusion.
In a notable shift, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged the need for Russian representatives to attend the next international summit on the ongoing conflict.
He issued this call on July 15, telling reporters that he is in the process of organizing the next summit. Zelensky had previously refused to invite Russia to attend international summits where he was pushing his 10-point “peace formula.” One such summit held in Switzerland last month included representatives from 92 countries – but without Moscow.
“I set a goal that in November, we would have a fully ready plan,” the Ukrainian leader said. “I think that representatives of Russia should be at the second summit.”
Zelensky’s 10-point “peace formula” calls for a complete Russian withdrawal from Ukrainian territory before peace talks could ever happen, which is a non-starter for negotiations with Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin meanwhile stressed his terms before talks could begin: Kyiv must pull out all its troops from territory annexed by Russia, and must abandon its intention of joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Throughout the war, the only time a real peace deal was on the table was back in March and April of 2022. Talks were held in the Turkish city of Ankara to iron out a peace deal between the warring parties.
However, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson meddled in the peace deal. Consequently, the U.S.-led NATO bloc discouraged Ukraine from signing an agreement and promised to support its fight against Russia.
Zelensky’s July 15 comments came as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been pushing for a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv. The Hungarian leader discussed his ideas in recent visits to Kyiv, Moscow and Beijing.
During his visit to the Ukrainian capital, Orban suggested Zelensky consider a ceasefire with Russia as a first step toward a peace deal. The Ukrainian president rejected the idea, but Zelensky’s recent comments about the possibility of Russia attending the next summit could signal a softening stance.
Zelensky’s foreign minister earlier stressed the need for Russia’s inclusion
The president’s comments appeared to echo that of Ukrainian Prime Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who stressed the need for Russia to be included in peace talks. He made this admission during the last day of the two-day Ukraine peace summit last month in Switzerland.
“The idea is that the next summit should be the end of the war. And of course, we need the other side at the negotiating table as well,” Kuleba said. “It is obvious that both sides are needed to end the war.”
(Related: Kuleba: Russia will eventually have to be involved in peace talks with Ukraine.)
According to the foreign minister, both belligerents in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war will have to sit down and negotiate at some point to reach a definitive peace. He added that Kyiv understands “perfectly well that the moment will come when it will be necessary to talk to Russia.” Until then, he reiterated that everyone backing Kyiv must “ensure that Ukraine is in the strongest position at that time.”
Russia Today (RT) meanwhile reported of the 92 countries who attended the peace summit, 78 left their signatures on the final communique. Fourteen other nations including Saudi Arabia did not sign the document.
Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud remarked that any meaningful progress toward peace will require “Russia’s participation,” as well as a “difficult compromise” between the parties. Riyadh did not sign the final communique, according to RT.
Head over to WWIII.news for more stories about the Russia-Ukraine war and efforts to end it.
Watch this interview from September last year where Volodymyr Zelensky is encouraging Donald Trump to share his peace plan.
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