The Kremlin announced today, Monday, that the conference hosted in Switzerland regarding the Ukraine war yielded little results and demonstrated the futility of conducting talks without Russia's participation. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the outcomes of the meeting were "close to zero" and added that "Russia remains ready to engage in talks with any countries that intend to hold them and will continue to communicate its position to these countries."
During the summit held earlier this week in Switzerland, Western powers and their allies condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine but failed to persuade major non-aligned countries to join the final statement of the summit, with no country displaying willingness to host a similar conference in the future. About 90 countries attended the talks, which lasted two days in a resort in the Swiss Alps at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The conference was described as a "peace summit," despite Moscow not being invited.
Russia derided the event. China's decision not to participate largely ensured its failure to achieve Ukraine's goal of persuading major "Global South" countries to join in efforts to isolate Russia. Brazil attended in a "observer" capacity. Ultimately, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa refrained from signing the final summit statement, despite some contentious issues being omitted in an attempt to garner broader support.
Nonetheless, the conference provided Ukraine with a chance to showcase the backing of its Western allies, which it claims is crucial for continuing its fight against a significantly larger adversary. In this context, the Kremlin announced that "in response to an invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a friendly state visit to North Korea on June 18 and 19, 2024." Putin is scheduled to visit Vietnam thereafter on June 19 and 20 of the current month.
