Putin gives condition ahead of Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland

President Vladimir Putin of Russia has said his country is open to negotiations with Ukraine but will never accept “any schemes that have nothing to do with reality”.

Putin made the remark while mocking the scheduled round of Ukraine peace talks in Switzerland, warning that Moscow will not accept any enforced plans that ignore its interests.

Switzerland’s government had announced plans to hold a high-level international conference in June to help chart a path toward peace in Ukraine.

But Putin said a peace process can’t happen without Russia.

Speaking with Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow, Putin said: “They aren’t inviting us there.

“Moreover, they think there is nothing for us to do there, but at the same time they say that’s it’s impossible to decide anything without us. It would have been funny if it weren’t so sad.”