Italy and Switzerland Plan Second Ukraine Peace Summit

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak has stated that Russia must be coerced into attending a peace summit, highlighting Ukraine's military actions, including a cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk region, as necessary measures for this coercion. Podolyak emphasized that diplomatic efforts alone are insufficient, and Ukraine's actions are aimed at enhancing its own security by disrupting Russian military capabilities. Concurrently, the foreign ministers of Italy and Switzerland have announced plans for a second Ukraine peace summit, scheduled for November, aimed at including Russian participation, which was absent in the first summit held in June. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also called for dialogue with all parties, asserting that peace requires engagement with Russia. Despite previous rejections of Ukraine's peace formula by Moscow, the upcoming summit seeks to establish conditions for meaningful negotiations, including the release of prisoners of war and addressing critical safety issues. Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized Ukraine's actions as attempts to bolster its negotiating stance while emphasizing the challenges posed by ongoing military actions.