Italy, Germany slam Putin's peace terms at Ukraine summit
On Friday, Putin claimed he would agree to a ceasefire if Ukraine withdrew its troops from four regions that Russia partially occupies and claims to have annexed.
Leaders from Italy and Germany have rejected the ceasefire terms proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin at a two-day summit aimed at discussing the end of the conflict in Ukraine.
The summit, held in Switzerland, saw participation from many countries, with Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni calling Putin's plan "propaganda" that effectively suggested Ukraine "must withdraw from Ukraine."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also dismissed the proposal, describing it as a "dictatorial peace."
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A draft declaration issued at the summit reaffirms Ukraine's territorial integrity and unequivocally rejects any nuclear threats against the country.
On Friday, Putin claimed he would agree to a ceasefire if Ukraine withdrew its troops from four regions that Russia partially occupies and claims to have annexed.
Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, told the BBC that there would be "no compromise on independence, sovereignty, or territorial integrity." He added that Ukraine is firm on these principles.
Putin announced his terms ahead of the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, which aimed to discuss the basic principles for ending the war. More than 90 countries and global institutions attended the event, marking the largest gathering for Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began. However, Russia was not invited, and China, a key ally of Russia, did not attend, leading to low expectations for significant progress.
Commenting on Putin's proposal, Meloni said, "It doesn't seem particularly effective to me as a negotiation proposal to tell Ukraine that it must withdraw from Ukraine."
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also criticised Putin, accusing him of "spinning a phoney narrative about his willingness to negotiate." Sunak added that countries aiding Russia with weapon supplies "are on the wrong side of history."
Despite the absence of Russia and China, Ukraine is presenting the summit as a success, emphasising its global reach and the number of countries represented.
President Zelensky said that Ukraine aims to "give diplomacy a chance" and demonstrate that "joint efforts" can halt wars. "I believe that we will witness history being made here at the summit. May a just peace be established as soon as possible," Zelensky said.
European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen said, "Freezing the conflict today with foreign troops occupying Ukrainian land is not an answer. In fact, it is a recipe for future wars of aggression." Ukraine branded Putin's ceasefire terms as "offensive to common sense."
Participating countries are expected to formally adopt the draft declaration reaffirming Ukraine's territorial integrity on Sunday. The leaders also emphasised the importance of the safe transit of commercial shipping in the Black and Azov Seas for global food security. The draft text also calls for a prisoner of war exchange.
The Swiss summit follows an agreement by G7 leaders to use interest from frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine's defense against Russian forces. About $325 billion in assets were frozen by the G7 countries and the EU after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The interest from these assets, approximately $3 billion annually, will be used to pay off the interest on a $50 billion loan for Ukraine from international markets. This funding is seen as a longer-term solution to support Ukraine's war effort and economy but is not expected to be available until the end of the year.
In the immediate term, Ukraine has emphasised its urgent need for more weapons, primarily air defense systems to counter Russia's missile and drone attacks, and F-16 fighter jets, which are expected to start arriving as early as this summer.
