Ukraine Peace Summit Targeted for November Resumption, President Zelensky Wants Russia to Attend

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. (Source: President.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - President Volodymyr Zelensky wants a Russian representative to be present when the second international meeting to discuss Ukrainian peace is targeted for November.

Ukraine hosted delegates from 92 countries at the first summit in Switzerland last month to advance its blueprint for peace.

Russia itself was not invited to the event and considered it impossible.

"I set a goal that in November we will have a fully prepared plan," President Zelensky told a news conference in Kyiv, as reported by Reuters on July 16.

"I think that a Russian representative should be present at the second summit," he continued.

He made the statement after visiting Washington, United States to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit last week.

Ukrainian officials said the second summit would discuss a plan previously drafted by dozens of countries divided into several working groups.

President Zelensky added that officials would likely meet in Qatar in late July or early August to form a position on energy security. A meeting on food security would likely be held in Turkey in August and another in Canada in September on prisoners of war and children, he said.

Ukrainian officials have previously said Russian representatives could be invited to the next summit.

A Russian deputy foreign minister, meanwhile, said last week that Moscow would not attend the next summit. The Kremlin was less explicit, saying there was “no substance” to the idea of ​​a second summit.

Meanwhile, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said US officials discussed the potential for diplomatic negotiations with President Zelensky during the summit, but said the decision on peace talks was Ukraine's decision.

"We have always supported diplomacy when Ukraine is ready, but it has never been clear that the Kremlin is ready for real diplomacy," Miller told a news conference.

The first summit discussed three of the 10 points proposed by Ukraine as President Zelensky's "formula" for peace, including food security, nuclear safety, and the release of prisoners of war and children.