PARIS — The whole world, including Ukraine, wants to Russia Ukrainian President Volodymyr Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that he would take part in the planned second peace summit to finally end the war between the two neighbouring countries. Zelenski.
Faced with the ever-increasing advance of Russian forces on the front and the dwindling and uncertain military aid from its allies, Zelensky launched an ambitious diplomatic offensive to end the conflict that began in February 2022.
Ukraine’s president brought together leaders and officials from dozens of countries in a hotel complex in Burgenstock, Switzerland, for a first summit in June, which Russia called a waste of time and China refused to take part in.
Although the Kremlin was not invited to the first meeting, now is the time for Moscow to sit at the table, Zelensky said.
“The majority of the world is saying today that Russia must be represented at the second summit, otherwise we will not achieve any significant results,” he said in western Ukraine on Tuesday.
“Since the whole world wants them to be at the table, we cannot be against it,” he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he is open to negotiations but would only order a ceasefire if kyiv effectively gave up territories Moscow claims as its own.
“A challenge”
Zelensky’s initiative centers on a sweeping 10-point plan that would restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity, allow for the return of prisoners of war and provide Ukraine with energy and economic guarantees.
The leader acknowledged that China is a key player, but indicated that he does not want its mediation and instead urged Beijing to pressure the Kremlin to end the invasion.
“If China wants, it can force Russia to stop this war,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president has won broad international backing for his peace efforts, but he has lashed out at some of those same allies for preventing his military from using Western weapons to attack deep inside Russian territory.
“Not being able to use all the weapons we need to stop this enemy is a huge challenge. What would you do in our place?” he said.
He also criticised the stalled arms deliveries, saying Ukraine was still waiting to receive weapons from its allies to equip its newly mobilised troops.
Zelensky met with French media in a school gym in Rivne, a city in western Ukraine.
The day before, he had presented awards to special forces from the Kharkiv region, located on the front more than 800 km away.
“Half-measure sanctions”
Despite his busy schedule, which this year included visits to Asian and European capitals, the Ukrainian president did not attend the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.
“I would have loved to attend if it were not such a difficult time in my country. It is a tense time in the east of our country,” he said, referring to Russia’s seizure of a number of towns in the industrial region of Donbas.
Zelensky also criticised the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to allow some Russian athletes to compete at the Paris Games under a neutral flag.
“I think these sanctions are half-measures,” he said.
Unpredictable risk from the US
As uncertainty looms over Ukraine’s long eastern front line, Zelensky admitted that the presidential race in the United States — a vital political and military ally — presents “risks.”
Washington has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to kyiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
But a victory for Republican candidate Donald Trump — who claims he can force the parties to reach a negotiated agreement — would put continued US support in jeopardy.
“We cannot influence any election, but of course the United States is a challenge today. And there are risks that none of us can predict,” the Ukrainian president told reporters.
Kamala Harris, who is emerging as a Democratic candidate for the White House, supported President Joe Biden’s pro-Ukraine stance.
Zelensky said his team has been in contact with both Harris’s advisers and the Trump campaign.
“As the president of Ukraine, I must, of course, maintain a dialogue between my team and the teams of Biden, Trump and today Harris,” he said.
“We need to make all these contacts and talk about what our future could look like if one side or the other wins the election,” he added.
Source: With information from AFP
