Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressed the importance of Russia's participation for more effective outcomes at Ukraine's peace summit. This is reported by Kyiv Independent.
Held June 15-16 near Lucerne, Switzerland, the summit has brought together over 100 representatives from various countries and international organizations, though Russia was notably absent.
During the plenary session, Fidan remarked that the summit offered "a glimmer of hope" but would have been "more result-oriented" with Russia's involvement. He underscored the need for a comprehensive and inclusive diplomatic strategy to ensure the implementation of already established measures.
Fidan highlighted Turkey's efforts to mediate the conflict, citing the Black Sea Grain Initiative as a successful example of wartime diplomacy.
Turkey, having hosted the final rounds of unsuccessful peace talks in 2022 in Antalya, continues to position itself as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
"We believe that there is a growing need for a comprehensive and inclusive strategy that uses diplomacy and negotiations to ensure the implementation of measures already taken," Fidan said, reinforcing Turkey's commitment to fostering dialogue between Kyiv and Moscow.
Ukraine's Peace Formula and Russia's Rejection
The central focus of the summit was Ukraine's peace formula, a 10-point plan advocating for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.
The Kremlin has firmly rejected this proposal, with Russian President Vladimir Putin stating that negotiations would only be possible if Ukraine withdraws its forces from Russian-occupied regions.
Despite this, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remains hopeful. Speaking at the summit, he announced plans to invite Russia to a second global peace summit, aiming to develop an actionable plan with other participants first.
