Putin called a conference on Ukraine in Switzerland a panopticon – Kommersant

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he opposes the imposition of schemes to resolve the hostilities in Ukraine, “which have nothing to do with reality.” The president called the peace summit on the Ukrainian conflict scheduled for June in Switzerland, to which Russia is not invited, a panopticon.

“As you know, the idea is being promoted to hold some kind of conference in Switzerland, but we are not invited there. Moreover, they think that we have nothing to do there. And at the same time they say that nothing can be solved without us. And since we are not going there, this is already some kind of panopticon,” Vladimir Putin said at negotiations with the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. He published fragments of their meeting in his Telegram– channel journalist Pavel Zarubin.

Vladimir Putin reiterated that Russia supports negotiations aimed at ending hostilities in Ukraine. However, as the president pointed out, schemes “that have nothing to do with reality” are unacceptable.

Alexander Lukashenko supported the position of the Russian president. According to him, without Russia, the summit participants will only be able to agree on how to intensify the escalation of the conflict. “What can we talk to them about, if they are going to dictate or bend something to us, this is not a proposal for peace negotiations. I absolutely support the position of the Russian leadership, your position on the peace process in this conflict. Today there is everything to sit down and negotiate,” he said.

The President of Belarus also expressed the opinion that “the moment is not far off when Ukraine will come to its senses and understand where its happiness lies.” In response to this, Vladimir Putin said: “Let them decide for themselves.”

The initiative to hold a peace summit in Switzerland was made by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. It is expected that from 80 to 100 countries will take part in the discussion of ending the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The Ukrainian authorities consider it inappropriate for Russia to participate in the conference. At the same time, the head of the Swiss Foreign Ministry Ignazio Cassis saidthat Switzerland’s peace initiative is to involve Russia in negotiations. China took a similar position. At the Russian Foreign Ministry statedthat Russia will not participate in the summit, even if it receives an invitation.

Read more about preparations for the summit in the material “Kyiv is inducing Delhi to complicity”.