Ukrainian deputies are currently deliberating on Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposals for resolving the ongoing conflict, according to Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin.
This development, Volodin asserts, renders the upcoming conference in Switzerland pointless.
Russian Initiatives Spark Controversy
Volodin highlighted that Putin's peace formula extends beyond Ukraine to address broader European stability.
He questioned the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's initiatives, supported by Western leaders, suggesting they lack credibility compared to Putin's proposals.
"The Swiss conference on Ukraine, set to take place today, has lost its purpose," Volodin stated.
Legislative Legitimacy in Question
Volodin emphasized that negotiations should be conducted by legitimate representatives of a country, pointing out that Zelensky's mandate has expired.
He claimed that the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, is the only legitimate body to engage in such discussions.
"According to our information, some Ukrainian deputies have already started discussing Putin's proposals," Volodin added.
"It’s time they realize: there is no President of Ukraine, the responsibility lies with the Verkhovna Rada," he asserted.
Zelensky and Advisors Push Back
Zelensky dismissed Putin's peace proposal as an ultimatum. "These are ultimatums no different from previous ones," he remarked.
His advisor, Mykhailo Podolyak, also rejected Moscow's conditions, noting the absence of new offers in the proposals.
In contrast, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov urged the public not to view Putin's proposal as an ultimatum, but as a peace initiative.
He emphasized that any new negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv must consider the current geopolitical realities, particularly the four regions Russia recently annexed.
Western Skepticism
Western officials have been quick to dismiss Putin's plan as a genuine peace offer.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that Putin lacks the authority to dictate peace terms to Kyiv.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg added that Putin’s proposal is aimed at achieving military goals rather than peace.
Putin, on the other hand, called the responses from the West and Kyiv predictable. He reiterated that Russia is ready to enter into negotiations if Ukraine meets Moscow’s conditions, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the newly annexed Russian regions—Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Donetsk.
Additionally, Ukraine must abandon its aspirations to join NATO and adopt a neutral, non-nuclear status.
