Putin's Reaction to Ukraine Peace Conference in Switzerland: Russia Will Not Accept Forced Peace Plan

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, warned on Thursday, April 12, regarding the peace negotiations for Ukraine in Switzerland that Moscow will not accept any forced agreement that disregards its interests. According to the Associated Press, the Swiss government announced it would host an international conference in June aimed at outlining a path to peace in Ukraine. Officials expressed hope that Russia might join the peace process. Putin claimed that Russia was not invited to participate in these negotiations and added that the peace process would not proceed without Russia. He stated, "They do not invite us to that conference and think we have no business there, yet they say that decisions on peace cannot be made without us. This is as sad as it is funny." Putin made these remarks during a meeting with Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Belarus, in Moscow, saying that Russia has kept the doors to negotiations open but will never accept a "plan that has no relation to reality." According to the Associated Press, his reference could pertain to the proposed peace formula for Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, has demanded that Moscow withdraw its forces, compensate Ukraine, and be held accountable in an international court, a peace formula that has been rejected by Russia. Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, described the proposed peace plan for Ukraine as "futile," claiming it is based on unacceptable notions such as Moscow withdrawing from occupied territories. He told the newspaper Izvestia that the proposed peace meeting would not be successful unless its fundamental bases changed, including allowing Russia to participate. Lavrov indicated that Moscow's readiness to negotiate would not be based on Zelensky's "peace formula."