In an interview published on Thursday, Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff, stated that a second Kyiv-led peace summit would not mark the beginning of negotiations with Russia.
Speaking to Evropeiska Pravda, Yermak clarified that the summit's objective would be to agree on a peace plan jointly approved by all participants, which could then be presented to Russia. He noted the possibility of a Russian representative attending to receive the plan but stressed that this should not be viewed as the start of negotiations.
The first summit, held in June in Switzerland without Russia, addressed issues like food security, humanitarian concerns, the return of prisoners, and energy. Yermak indicated that the second summit aims to tackle more complex issues, such as the withdrawal of Russian forces and restoring Ukraine's post-Soviet borders.
He added that Ukraine desires rapid progress but cautioned that a second summit might not occur in 2024 due to essential conditions, including drafting a joint peace plan. Russia previously dismissed the first summit as meaningless without its participation.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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