By Dave DeCamp / Antiwar.com
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Russian representatives should attend the next international summit on the Ukraine war.
The comments marked a shift for Zelensky since he had previously refused to invite Russia to attend international summits where he was pushing his “peace formula.” Switzerland hosted a summit last month that included representatives from 92 countries, but Russia was not invited.
Zelensky told reporters that he’s in the process of planning the next summit. “I set a goal that in November we would have a fully ready plan,” he said, according to Reuters. “I think that representatives of Russia should be at the second summit.”
Zelensky’s comments come as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been pushing for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Orban discussed his ideas in recent visits to Kyiv, Moscow, and Beijing. For his efforts, top EU officials are boycotting meetings held in Hungary, which is currently holding the EU’s rotating presidency.
Zelensky’s “peace formula” calls for a complete Russian withdrawal from Ukrainian territory before peace talks could even happen, which is a non-starter for negotiations with Moscow.
During his visit to Kyiv, Orban suggested Zelensky consider a ceasefire with Russia as a first step toward a peace deal. Zelensky rejected the idea, but his comments about Russia attending the summit could signal a softening stance.
Throughout the war, the only time a real peace deal was on the table was back in March and April of 2022. But the US and NATO discouraged Ukraine from signing an agreement and promised to support its fight against Russia.
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Dave DeCamp
Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.
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