The Global Peace Summit, scheduled for June in Switzerland, will develop a unified negotiating position to be presented to Russia, according to Serhiy Nykyforov, a spokesman for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The summit, scheduled for June 15-16, will take place without Russia’s participation.

“Ukraine and Switzerland are organizing a peace summit where countries that respect international law and the UN Charter will develop a common negotiating position and convey it to Russia. This will become the first step towards a just peace,” Nykyforov told DW.

The announcement comes after Deputy Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense (GUR), Vadym Skibitskyi, suggested that Ukraine would not be able to defeat Russia solely on the battlefield. Skibitskyi added that even if Ukrainian Armed Forces push Russian occupation troops back to the borders, it would not end the war, emphasizing that such wars can only end through treaties.

Skibitskyi noted that Ukraine and Russia are currently trying to occupy the “most advantageous position” before potential negotiations, and substantive talks may not begin until the second half of 2025.

At the Global Peace Summit, leaders from dozens of countries will collectively discuss Zelenskyy’s peace formula and create a clear roadmap for achieving peace based on it, which they then intend to present to Moscow. Ukraine’s diplomats are actively working to engage Chinese representatives in the event, as China’s participation is particularly significant for Ukraine, according to Andrii Yermak, the Head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office.

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