The leaders of Italy and Germany have strongly rejected ceasefire terms laid out by Vladimir Putin to stop the war in Ukraine, as scores of countries gathered at a two-day summit in Switzerland to discuss ending the conflict.<\/p>\n
Italy\u2019s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the Russian president\u2019s plan \u201cpropaganda\u201d which effectively suggested that Ukraine \u201cmust withdraw from Ukraine\u201d.<\/p>\n
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed it as a \u201cdictatorial peace\u201d.<\/p>\n
A draft declaration issued at the summit reaffirms Ukraine\u2019s territorial integrity and unambiguously rejects any nuclear threat against the country.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Mr Putin claimed he would agree to a ceasefire if Ukraine withdrew troops from four regions which Russia partially occupies and claims to have annexed.<\/p>\n
Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, told the BBC at the Swiss summit that there would be \u201cno compromise on independence, sovereignty or territorial integrity\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mr Putin revealed his terms ahead of the two-day Summit on Peace in Ukraine which is aimed at discussing the basic principles for ending the war.<\/p>\n
More than 90 countries and global institutions are attending the event. It is the biggest gathering for Ukraine since the full-scale invasion.<\/p>\n
But Russia was not invited, and China \u2013 a key ally of Russia \u2013 is not attending, so expectations of significant progress at this stage are low.<\/p>\n
Commenting on Mr Putin\u2019s proposal, Ms Meloni said: \u201cIt doesn\u2019t seem particularly effective to me as a negotiation proposal to tell Ukraine that it must withdraw from Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Britain\u2019s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak accused the Russian president of \u201cspinning a phoney narrative about his willingness to negotiate\u201d.<\/p>\n
He added that countries helping Russia with weapon supplies \u201care on the wrong side of history\u201d.<\/p>\n
Ukraine is already presenting the gathering at the secluded spot in B\u00fcrgenstock as a success, pointing to its global reach and the number of countries represented.<\/p>\n
Mr Zelensky said Ukraine wanted to \u201cgive diplomacy a chance\u201d, and show that \u201cjoint efforts\u201d could stop wars.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe that we will witness history being made here at the summit. May a just peace be established as soon as possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
His aide Mr Yermak \u2013 an influential figure in Ukrainian politics \u2013 brushed aside the absence of China, and suggested that when a joint plan for peace talks is ready it could be be presented to Russia.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think that can happen at the second summit at the level of leaders,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Putin has already ruled out any kind of peace process on Ukraine\u2019s terms. The four Ukrainian regions he wants Ukraine to withdraw from are only partially occupied by Russia, which claims to have annexed them in 2022. The voting process held then was denounced in Ukraine and the West as a sham.<\/p>\n
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said that \u201cfreezing the conflict today with foreign troops occupying Ukrainian land is not an answer\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn fact, it is a recipe for future wars of aggression,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Mr Putin\u2019s terms for a ceasefire were branded \u201coffensive to common sense\u201d by Ukraine.<\/p>\n
Participating countries are due to formally adopt the draft declaration reaffirming Ukraine\u2019s territorial integrity on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The leaders also state that the safe transit of commercial shipping in the Black and Azov Seas is vital for global food security. The draft text also calls for a prisoner of war exchange.<\/p>\n