Zelenskyy: Russia's presence at second Peace Summit to show readiness to end war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Photo: Getty Images)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during a press conference following the Peace Summit in Switzerland, stated that the presence of Russian representatives at the second Peace Summit will indicate that the aggressor country is ready for negotiations to end the war.

According to Zelenskyy, many countries wanted the involvement of Russian representatives at the first Peace Summit. However, at the same time, most countries "do not even want to shake their hands."

He recalled that Russia had blocked any initiatives even before the full-scale invasion.

"There were almost 200 Minsk meetings where no issues were resolved. Russia blocked everything. Why? Because it was not advantageous for them to end the war. Therefore, the correct process has been chosen - a Peace Summit, followed by developing a detailed plan, which will then be presented to Russia. And then we'll see if they are ready to end the war," the president said.

He noted that Russia's presence at the second Peace Summit will indicate that the aggressor country is ready to end the war.

"What will happen with Russia at the second summit? Their presence there will mean they have decided to stop the war," the president said.

Zelenskyy pointed out that Ukraine currently wants to end this war.

"As for negotiations, Russia can start talks with us tomorrow without waiting for anything if they withdraw from our territories. This is respect for the UN Charter," he said.

Negotiations with Russia

Earlier, media reports spread information that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is ready to negotiate with Ukraine. However, Ukraine must recognize the occupied territories under Moscow's control.

At that time, Zelenskyy stated that Putin's rhetoric was driven by his concerns about the achievements of the Peace Summit.