Peace talks ‘tomorrow’ if Russia withdraws from Ukraine – Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kiev will hold peace talks with Russia tomorrow if Moscow withdraws from all Ukrainian territory.

But he said at the conclusion of a peace summit in Switzerland that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not end the war and it must be stopped “in any way possible,” whether by military or diplomatic means.

He added that Western aid was not enough to win the war, but the summit showed that international support for Ukraine was not weakening.

The meeting concluded with the commitment of dozens of countries to the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

A final document was adopted that blamed Russia for the widespread suffering and destruction of the war.

However, many participating countries including India, South Africa and Saudi Arabia have not signed it.

The summit aims to create the broadest possible support for a process that could help end the war in Ukraine.

The summit was attended by more than 90 countries and international organizations.

Russia was not invited, and China, its biggest backer, was not present, leading some to question the effectiveness of the summit.

Some of those gathered in the Swiss resort of Bürgenstock were not Ukraine’s closest supporters, including Saudi Arabia, whose foreign minister warned that Ukraine would have to make difficult concessions, and Kenya, which has publicly objected to recent sanctions on Russia.

The final document calls for the restoration of Ukrainian control over the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which is currently occupied by Russia.

The resolution also refers to the Russian invasion as a “war,” a description Moscow rejected.

It called for the exchange of all prisoners and the return of children kidnapped by Russia.

The more controversial topics, such as the status of territories under Russian occupation, will be left for later.

Speaking to reporters after the summit, Zelensky thanked the world leaders who attended, saying he was grateful that they showed independence in attending despite pressure from Russia on them to stay away.

“This summit says international support [for Ukraine] It does not weaken,” he said, noting that countries that had not previously participated in diplomatic efforts joined the process.

When the BBC asked him whether Ukraine’s weaker position on the battlefield had forced him to consider diplomatic moves, he replied that this was not the case and that Ukraine had always talked about peace.

He said that Moscow’s presence in the negotiations would show its readiness for peace.

“Russia can start negotiations tomorrow if it withdraws from our lands,” he said.

Zelensky also said that China is not an enemy of Ukraine.

“We respect China and its territorial integrity, and we want China to do the same for us,” he said, calling on Beijing to seriously engage in developing peace proposals.