Ask President Biden And Xi Jinping To Join Switzerland, Zelensky: Please, Show Your Leadership

President Zelensky visited his troops at the forefront. (Source: President.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday called on US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to attend a summit discussing the peace of Ukraine's conflict with Russia which has been running for 27 months.

Ukraine hopes to host as many countries as possible in negotiations to unify global opinion on how to stop the war, as well as put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, who will be held in Switzerland next month.

Speaking in a English video recorded in Kharkiv City, President Zelensky said more than 80 countries would attend.

But it's unclear whether President Biden will be there, while Beijing, which has close ties to Moscow, has not said whether they will attend.

"I appeal to world leaders who are still putting aside global efforts at the Global Peace Summit, to President Biden, the leader of the United States, and to President Xi, the Chinese leader," President Zelensky said.

"Please show your leadership in advancing peace, real peace and not just a pause between attacks," he continued.

President Zelensky added that the summit would "show who in the world really wants to end the war".

Kyiv, in its peace proposal, called for a full withdrawal of Russian troops and an internationally recognized border recovery, something Moscow sees as something that cannot be done.

Last week, Russian sources told Reuters President Vladimir Putin was ready to stop the war in Ukraine by negotiations of a ceasefire that recognizes the current battlefield line.

In response to this, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the Russian leader was "trying to thwart" events in Switzerland because he was "scary of his success".

"His group sent false signals of alleged readiness for a ceasefire despite the fact that Russian troops continued to brutally attack Ukraine while their missiles and drones rained down on Ukrainian cities and people," wrote Foreign Minister Kuleba on X.

Switzerland in January said it would host the summit at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. That is based on President Zelensky's peace formula and other peace proposals based on the UN Charter and key principles of international law.

Invited delegates include members of the G7, G20, groups BRICS, the European Union, international organizations to religious representatives, Switzerland said.

Russia itself previously said the meeting on the Ukraine conflict without involving it would have no effect.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said negotiations on resolving the Ukrainian conflict without Russia's participation were not to achieve results.

"We don't understand what a milestone this peace conference will be like. What kind of serious conference with serious expectations, what kind of results can we talk about without Russian participation? It's really impossible," he said when asked about the conference to be held by Switzerland, quoted from TASS.

"This is a type of initiative that is not designed for outcome," added Peskov.

He showed that Russia's position in peace negotiations was well known.

"Russian positions are consistent, highly transparent, have been repeated many times and confirmed by our president," he explained.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia would not participate in a conference on Ukraine in Switzerland, planned for June, or in other events regarding the 'formula of peace' proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"Conference organizers from Switzerland openly distort the facts. Russia will not participate in a meeting called the summit in Switzerland, or basically in any event that promotes an ultimatum-like 'Zelensky flag'. Even if we will continue to be invited to such forums," Zakharova said, commenting on Switzerland's statement, at this stage Russia was not invited to a 'peace conference' in June.

The diplomat further stressed that Switzerland cannot serve as a platform for a settlement dialogue.

"This country has lost its neutral status, its ability to become a mediator. The country has taken sides with the Kyiv regime, actively supporting it, taking anti-Russian positions, imposing sanctions on us, adopting strategies that exclude Russia from European security systems," Zakharova said.