Peace summit would yield more results with Russia present, Turkish FM says
Ukraine's global peace summit would be "more result-oriented" if Russia had participated in the talks, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said during the summit's plenary session on June 15.
The peace summit, held at a resort near Lucerne in Switzerland June 15-16, brings together over 100 representatives from different countries and international organizations. Russia was not invited to attend the conference.
Fidan called the talks "a glimmer of hope to start with" but said they "could have been more result-oriented" if Russia had attended.
"We believe that there is a growing need for a comprehensive and inclusive strategy that uses diplomacy and negotiations to ensure the implementation of measures already taken," Fidan said.
Fidan cited Turkey's negotiation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative as an example of a diplomatic solution during wartime.
Turkey has sought to position itself as a mediator in Russia's war against Ukraine and has previously offered to host peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow. The final rounds of unsuccessful peace talks in 2022 took place in the Turkish city of Antalya.
The focus of the peace summit in Switzerland is Ukraine's peace formula, a 10-point plan that calls for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. The Kremlin has rejected the proposal, with Russian President Vladimir Putin saying Moscow would only enter negotiations if Ukraine withdraws forces from Russian-occupied regions.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said during the summit that Ukraine plans to invite Russia to a second global peace summit, after forming an action plan with other participants.
Martin Fornusek
