ISTANBUL, May 13. /TASS/. The conference on Ukraine in Switzerland is meaningless without Russia’s participation and will be a mere waste of time as the West is well aware of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s "peace formula" regardless of any conference, a diplomatic source in Turkey told TASS.
"Kiev claims that direct talks with Russia are impossible and invites the entire West to Switzerland to adopt his 'peace formula.' Zelensky and his team have ignored the previous agreements (reached in Istanbul - TASS), which paved the path for peace two years ago, failing to understand that it is Russia they need to speak with in the first place. Any other initiatives and conferences are pointless, wherever they might be held," the source said.
When asked about Turkey’s efforts toward settling the Ukrainian crisis, he noted that it is quite natural that Turkey is making such efforts, bearing in mind its relations with Russia and that Turkey organized the talks (in Istanbul back in March 2022). "However, the talks’ success will rest on Kiev’s willingness to hold dialogue, which is absent judging by the recent statements by Ukrainian leaders," the source added.
A conference on Ukraine is scheduled to be held in Switzerland on June 15 and 16. Commenting on these plans, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that this conference is "a path to nowhere" and Moscow doesn’t see the West’s readiness for an honest dialogue. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that Russia has never refused a peaceful solution for Ukraine but the conference in Switzerland without Moscow’s participation is nothing but a "side show.".