SEVASTOPOL, June 17. /TASS/. Ukraine is the one hindering direct peace talks with Russia, a Russian lawmaker told TASS.
The final communique of the Burgenstock conference on Ukraine emphasized that both parties to the conflict are needed for a lasting settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. The conference also addressed such topics as food and nuclear security, including at the Zaporozhye NPP, prisoner exchanges, among other things.
"As for statements about both parties needing to be present, evidently, there was no need for this carnival sideshow to utter trite things," Dmitry Belik, a lawmaker of the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) and member of the international committee," said.
"What is most important: our parliament has never adopted anything resembling what was adopted in the so-called Ukraine. As a matter of fact, that country’s parliament has banned the president, by the way, at his own initiative, from holding any talks with our side. So, if you prohibit yourself from engaging in talks legislatively, then to whom should your questions be directed?" he said.
He stressed that talks with Vladimir Zelensky would be void anyway, since his presidential term has expired. Hence, in his words, Russia should hold talks with the parliament speaker, who, under Ukrainian law, becomes the lawful president in this situation.
According to Belik, the Burgenstock document’s provisions raise other questions as well.
"I would like to recall that the Zaporozhye NPP was not attacked by the Russian military. It does not make sense for Russia to do this. But the Kiev regime keeps on shelling adjacent areas with a tenacity worthy of a better application and the plant’s territory has been hit more than once," he noted.
The conference on Ukraine was held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on June 15 and 16. More than 160 delegations, including from the Group of Seven, Group of Twenty and BRICS nations, were invited but actually, the conference was attended by 91 country, Serbia’s Kosovo autonomous province and eight international organizations. Fifty-five countries were represented by heads of state or government.