Ukraine's Presidential Chief Of Staff Denies Assuming Preliminary Peace Peak Meeting From Negotiations With Russia

Andriy Yermak. (Wikimedia Commons/Presidentt.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff said on Thursday the Kyiv-led second peace summit should not be considered the start of negotiations with Russia.

Speaking to Evropeiska Pravda media, Andriy Yermak said the aim of the second summit was to approve a jointly approved peace plan by the participants which could then be submitted to Russia.

"It is possible that the Russian representatives attend the second summit to which this plan could be submitted," he said.

"One should not consider the second summit as the beginning of negotiations with Russia," Yermak said.

Earlier, participants at a peace summit held in June in Switzerland without Russia agreed to take steps on certain issues such as food security, humanitarian issues, return of prisoners and energy. Later, President Zelensky said Ukraine wanted to hold a second summit this year with the presence of Russian representatives.

In his comments to Evropeiska Pravda, Yermak said other issues must be addressed in which joint positions are more difficult to achieve, including the withdrawal of Russian troops and the recovery of the post-Soviet state border in 1991.

He said Ukraine wanted these issues to run quickly, although it is not certain that the second meeting could take place by 2024.

"We want this to happen, but there are conditions where the second summit cannot take place," he said, referring to the preparation of a joint peace plan.

It is known, Russia considers the summit of the first peace to be meaningless without Moscow's participation.