ST. PETERSBURG, June 7. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has not discussed with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi New Delhi's possible participation in a conference on Ukraine organized by Switzerland, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a briefing on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"This is not an issue for President Putin to discuss with his partners," the Kremlin spokesman said. "Many serious states have expressed their firm belief in the futility of discussing the Ukrainian crisis without Russia's participation," Peskov pointed out.

"From the point of view of cost and effectiveness, this will be an empty event," the Kremlin spokesman assessed the conference. "It is the sovereign decision of each country whether or not to participate in an empty event," he added.

Switzerland plans to hold a conference on Ukraine in the Burgenstock area on June 15-16. The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said earlier that Bern had invited more than 160 delegations to the conference on Ukraine, including from G7, G20 and BRICS countries. According to Swiss officials, Russia has not been invited.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia will not ask to participate in the conference if it is not wanted there. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, holding the conference in Switzerland is a "road to nowhere" and Moscow does not see that the West wants to enter into fair negotiations. At the same time, Russia has repeatedly stressed that Moscow has never refused to settle the conflict with Kiev through peace talks.