GENEVA, June 14. /TASS/. Switzerland’s Federal Council (government) will host 100 delegations at the conference on Ukraine, including 57 at the level of heads of state and government, the government said in a statement posted on its website.
"President Viola Amherd will open the summit on peace in Ukraine on Saturday, 15 June. 100 delegations will attend the summit, including 57 heads of state and government from around the world," the government said, adding that among them would be delegations of both countries and organizations.
Russia has not been invited to Burgenstock. Bern claims that one of the objectives of the conference is to "set out a vision for the next steps in which Russia is included."
"The summit also offers the opportunity to discuss for the first time at the highest level how and when Russia can be included in this process. For the Federal Council, the development of a lasting solution ultimately requires the participation of both sides," the statement said.
The council ignored the fact than initially, more than 160 invitations had been sent and that China, in particular, had refused to come. Beijing proceeds from the fact that "both Russia and Ukraine should recognize" the conference. Some countries will not send their top officials. Australia will send its minister for the national disability insurance scheme although Kiev has asked its prime minister or a deputy prime minister to attend. Nevertheless, the German chancellor, the French president and the prime ministers of Canada and Japan are expected to arrive in Burgenstock right after the G7 summit in Italy. The other day, Politico labeled them as "lame ducks", given their domestic problems and weakened political ratings.
On June 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the Foreign Ministry’s senior staff that it was impossible to find a peace solution to the Ukraine conflict without Russia’s participation and a frank dialogue. According to the Russian leader, it is obvious even now that no "truly fundamental issues" that underlie the current crisis of international security and stability as well as the real roots of the Ukraine conflict "are going to be discussed in Switzerland, despite all the attempts to make the agenda of the conference more or less decent." "We can clearly expect that everything will be reduced to talks of a demographic nature and a new set of accusations against Russia," the president stressed.