Moscow does not intend to participate in a conference on resolving the Ukrainian crisis, which is planned to be held in Switzerland, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.
"Russia does not intend to take part in this conference," Zakharova wrote on Telegram.
Swiss President Viola Amherd said earlier that Zelensky had asked to organize a peace summit on Ukraine. Swiss Foreign Minister Inazio Cassis noted that there was no alternative to Russia's participation in the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine and that it was impossible to hold a peace conference without Russia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized at a meeting with Cassis in January that Moscow was taking into account Bern's departure from the principles of neutrality and its support for Kiev in developing bilateral relations. Zakharova said in February that Switzerland's potential as an "honest broker" in conflict resolution had been exhausted for Russia.
Moscow has repeatedly said it is ready for talks, but Kiev has banned them by law. In October 2022, Zelensky signed a decree stating that Kiev could not hold peace talks as long as Russian President Vladimir Putin was in power.
Earlier, the Kremlin said that there are no conditions for the situation in Ukraine to turn to a peaceful course now, the absolute priority for Russia is to achieve the goals of the special operation, which is currently possible only by military means.
According to the Kremlin, the situation in Ukraine can move to a peaceful course if the de facto situation and new realities are taken into account, all Moscow's demands are well known.