Putin 'afraid of' Ukraine peace summit, EU spokesman claims

BELGRADE, Serbia

EU spokesman Peter Stano claimed Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin's efforts to undermine the effectiveness of the upcoming Global Peace Summit for Ukraine show he is afraid of the event scheduled for June 15-16 in Switzerland.

He emphasized at a news conference in Brussels that the EU's strong support for the peace summit, highlighting its importance by stating, "We view it as a crucial source of inspiration for the future peace process."

When asked about Russia's efforts to organize a similar gathering, Stano noted: "The attempt to undermine the effectiveness of the summit [in Switzerland] with parallel events only shows how Putin is afraid of the summit."

"The purpose of this summit is very important to us because we see it as an inspiration for a future peace process. As the EU, we are working intensively with our partners around the world to ensure the broadest possible representation. Currently, over 70 countries have pledged to attend," said Stano, EU’s Lead Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

He added that it is a big event, and the EU is collaborating with Ukrainian, Swiss and other partners to achieve the best level of representation and the largest number of countries participating.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement from Brussels that he expected all leaders, especially US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, to attend the summit.

He said Biden's failure to attend would mean "applauding" Putin.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia's participation is not expected.