Italy and Germany Reject Putin's Ceasefire Terms for Ukraine
Leaders from Italy and Germany firmly rejected the ceasefire terms proposed by Vladimir Putin to end the conflict in Ukraine.
At the same time, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, warned that freezing the war would lead to new conflicts in the future. These statements were made at the opening of the two-day summit in Switzerland regarding peace in Ukraine.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni labelled Putin's plan as "propaganda," effectively suggesting that Ukraine "must retreat from Ukraine."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed it as a "dictatorial peace."
A draft declaration published within the summit framework reaffirms Ukraine's territorial integrity and unequivocally rejects any nuclear threats against the country.
On Friday, Putin stated that he would agree to a ceasefire if Ukraine withdrew its troops from regions partially occupied by Russia, which it claims to have annexed.
Andrii Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stated to the BBC at the Swiss summit that there would be "no compromise regarding independence, sovereignty, or territorial integrity."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who spoke at the forum on the same day, emphasised that Russia would be presented with a plan for a just and long-term peace, agreed upon between Kyiv and its international partners. "We must decide together what a fair peace for the whole world means and how it can be achieved in the long term," the Ukrainian leader stated. "This will then be communicated to the Russian representatives so that, at the second peace summit, we can achieve a real end to the war."
"Freezing the conflict today, with foreign troops occupying Ukrainian territory, is not a solution. In fact, it is a recipe for future wars of aggression. Instead, we must support a comprehensive, just, and durable peace for Ukraine. One that restores Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," stated Ursula von der Leyen, according to DW.
Von der Leyen also drew attention to the fact that Russia's aggression has not only caused many casualties and destruction in Ukraine but has also had global repercussions. "The echoes of Russia's war of aggression resonate throughout the world. Energy prices have risen steeply. Food prices have risen steeply."
Over 90 countries and global institutions participated in the summit, which took place from June 15-16. It was the largest gathering for Ukraine since the large-scale invasion.
Russia was not invited, and China, a key ally of Russia, did not participate, leading to low expectations for significant progress at this stage.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
