Zelensky personally invites Xi and Biden to peace summit
Published: Sunday, May 26th 2024, 12:00
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In an emotional appeal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has asked US President Joe Biden and China's head of state and party leader Xi Jinping for their personal participation in the planned peace summit in Switzerland in June. "We don't want the UN Charter to be burned like these books here, and I hope you don't want that either," said Selensky against the backdrop of a printing plant in Kharkiv destroyed by a Russian missile attack. Only global unity would make it possible to force Russia to make real peace, the President said in his speech in English, which was broadcast on his Telegram channel on Sunday.
According to Zelensky, Moscow is currently preparing another attack. While Ukraine is still fending off the latest Russian ground offensive in the Kharkiv region, Russia is gathering new units kilometers to the north in order to launch a new attack further northwest, the president said.
According to military experts, a further Russian offensive in the Sumy region is possible. Russia's aim in such an operation would be to exploit its personnel and material superiority, overstretch the Ukrainian defensive lines and thus achieve the collapse of the front - or at least conquer more territory.
According to Selenskyj, the preparations for attacks and the ongoing "terrorist" shelling of cities in Ukraine show that Russia - contrary to its rhetoric - is not ready for negotiations on a real peace. At best, the Kremlin is seeking a ceasefire, which will then be broken again by Russian missiles.
Global efforts are necessary to force Russia to comply with its obligations, emphasized Selenskyj. He pointed out that Ukraine had had painful experiences with Russian lies in negotiations. "Lies that Russia used as a cover-up to prepare for war," said the President.
Russia launched its war of aggression against Ukraine more than two years ago. Immediately before the invasion, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed that Russia had never invaded another country in its history and did not want a war now.
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