The Russia-Ukraine war will continue as the peace conference takes a hit

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia and Ukraine are set to remain locked in battle for the foreseeable future after a international meeting billed as a first step toward peace produced no tantalizing diplomatic progress that might suggest an imminent end to Europe's biggest conflict since World War II.

The absence of Russia and China from the two-day conference in Switzerland at the weekend and the decision of several key countries, including India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Mexico not to sign the meeting's final document on Sunday, meant the meeting had little to tell. beyond some goodwill and pledges to continue working for peace after more than two years war.

Meanwhile, Ukraine, starved of ammunition due to delayed shipments of promised Western military aid, is trying to keep up against one Russian attack in the eastern parts of the country until his prospects improve.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that the outcome of the conferences was close to zero.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is trying to align countries behind his version of what a final peace deal should look like, said international meetings of advisers and government ministers would follow the talks and pave the way for a second date in the future. the time.

Nearly 80 countries adopted the final communiqué covering steps towards nuclear security, food security and the release of prisoners and deportees, including thousands of children abducted by Russia.

It did not solve the fundamental and seemingly intractable problem, for now: Ukrainian land occupied by Russian occupation forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last Friday he would order an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine if Kiev's forces withdraw from four Ukrainian regions illegally annexed by Russia in 2022 and Kiev withdraws its bid to join NATO- n.

His other conditions for ending the war included Ukraine's recognition of Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula that Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, as part of Russia; restrictions on the Ukrainian military; and maintaining Ukraine's non-nuclear status.

Kiev rejected these proposals as absurd.

Near Kiev's main war memorial, city resident Nataliia Kulbaka said she supports the idea of ​​internationally backed peace talks, but remained deeply distrustful of Russia.

Russia may make promises, but tomorrow it will break those promises, she said.

Zelenskyy has previously presented a 10-point peace formula that, among other things, calls for the expulsion of all Russian forces from Ukraine and accountability for war crimes. These proposals are rejected by Moscow.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said Putin is unlikely to be interested in negotiating in good faith for the foreseeable future because he thinks he will eventually win the war.

Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has killed or injured hundreds of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes. It has also disrupted world markets for commodities such as grain and fertilizer, fueling inflation and driving a wedge between the West, which has sanctioned Moscow, and Russia, China and several other countries.

The war is at a critical period.

The Ukrainian military has shown resilience in the face of one of the most formidable armies in the world, but is unable to continue the war without Western supply. It also faces challenges with insufficient manpower and a lack of fortifications, offering Russia the opportunity to make gains on the battlefield this summer.

Russia, after more than two years of fighting, has so far been unable to strike a blow with blow and is seeking help abroad to boost its war effort.

Western military analysts say the Russian military lacks quality due to the loss of young officers in combat. This means that Kremlin forces have difficulty generating momentum at scale, allowing Ukraine to hold them to incremental gains for the time being.

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Derek Gatopoulos and Yehor Konovalov in Kiev, Ukraine and Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia contributed.

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Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine