Ukraine opens to negotiations with Russia post-peace summit in Switzerland

"The negotiating position will be passed to Russia after the peace summit in June, which will take place in Switzerland," informed Serhij Nikiforow, press secretary of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. "It will be the first step towards a fair world," he added. Previously, Zelensky excluded any talks with Russia.

Nikiforow's words relate to a recent interview with the deputy head of the Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR). General Vadym Skibitsky said on Thursday that "he does not see a possibility to end the war with Russia only through victory on the battlefield, and his country may be forced to negotiate with the aggressor."

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly excluded talks with the Kremlin, but Skibitsky assessed in a conversation with "The Economist" magazine that negotiations may ultimately be necessary.

"Ukraine and Switzerland are organizing a peace summit, during which the countries that adhere to international law and the Charter of the United Nations must develop a common negotiating position and pass it on to Russia. It will be the first step towards a fair world," said Zelensky's spokesperson.

General Skibitsky said that he does not see a way in which Ukraine could win the war solely on the battlefield. "Even if it were able to push Russian forces back to the borders, which is becoming a more distant prospect, it would not end the war" - reported "The Economist".

Such wars can only end with treaties, he says. Now both sides are fighting for the "most favorable position" before potential talks. However, according to him, significant negotiations could begin at the earliest in the second half of 2025 - reported the British magazine.

Zelensky and other officials informed that Russia was not invited to the peace summit, which is to take place in June in Switzerland, because there is no guarantee that Moscow would negotiate there in good faith.

The Reuters agency notes that the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Dmytro Kuleba, spoke in a similar vein to Skibitsky. He stated that at the June summit, "countries sharing principles and stances, upon which they will base further actions, will meet."

"Afterwards, there may be communication with Russia, and it may participate in the talks (...) Ultimately, the war cannot be ended without both sides ," he added.

According to "The Economist", Skibitsky assessed that currently, Ukraine's situation is the hardest since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, and it may soon become even harder. In his opinion, Russia wants to "gain something" before the Victory Day celebrations on May 9th or the expected visit of Vladimir Putin to Beijing next week.