The upcoming international summit intended to find a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine conflict must include Russia, asserts Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar following his meeting with Ukrainian counterpart Andrey Sibiga. He argues that there is no “military solution” for this conflict and emphasizes on bringing an end to it through negotiations at the earliest possible time. Kiev also supports the notion of inviting representatives from Russia to the next conference, as stated by Blanar, who has been quoted in the Slovak newspaper Pravda.
Blanar further signaled Bratislava’s backing for Ukraine’s bid for EU membership. However, he also mentioned that Slovakia opposes Kiev’s aspirations to join NATO. According to Blanar, “Ukraine’s membership in NATO would create further conflicts,” without offering any further elaboration on the matter. This stance is consistent with Russia’s long-standing opposition to Ukraine joining NATO. Moscow insists that one of its primary demands for a peaceful resolution of the conflict is Kiev’s neutral status.
Russia was not invited to a previous peace conference held in Switzerland in June, which unfortunately failed to deliver any tangible results. Many nations refused to sign a joint declaration and criticized Russia’s absence from the event. Russian President Vladimir Putin strongly condemned the gathering as a “ruse” intended to “reverse the cause and effect” of the conflict.
Ukraine and Russia last held negotiations in the spring of 2022 in Türkiye, during which they drafted a preliminary peace treaty that was given initial approval. However, this document was never finalized, and following this, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky issued a decree banning peace talks with Putin.
In a recent panel discussion at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Putin accused the West of “ordering” Kiev to abandon the treaty due to “the desire of the elites” to “inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.” Former US Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland later confirmed that Kiev had rejected the treaty under orders from its Western allies.
However, Ukraine’s rhetoric has been shifting in recent weeks. In an interview with NBC earlier this month, Zelensky stated that he “realized” that without Russia at the table it would be “very difficult” to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. He also mentioned that representatives from Moscow will be invited to the next peace conference.
Russia has repeatedly expressed its eagerness to resolve the conflict through dialogue, stating that any talks should take into account the realities on the ground and consider the interests of all parties involved.
The scheduling for the next peace conference is yet to be determined, but reports suggest that it might take place later this fall.