GENEVA, December 24. /TASS/. European countries should support the peace initiative, put forward by Brazil and China and envisaging negotiations with the participation of both Russia and Ukraine, according to an opinion peace published by Swizterland’s Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) newspaper.

The article’s author believes that Russa’s absence during the peace conference in Burgenstock, Switzerland, was "a crucial mistake." In his opinion, despite supplies of long-range weapons from the United States, France and the United Kingdom to Kiev, "it is becoming more and more obvious that Ukraine can hardly win by military means."

"It appears that Russia is already on its way to victory," the columnist said.

In his words, the people of Ukraine are growing increasingly tired of the conflict, and Moscow is gaining the upper hand.

According to the newspaper’s forecast, Russia will regain full control over its borderline region of Kursk "when the time is right."

At the same time, despite the ongoing discussions in Poland, the United Kingdom, France, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania about creating a coalition of Western militaries in Ukraine, such initiatives have little chances to succeed, and are facing growing opposition from domestic political stakeholders in the respective countries.

"The West should ask itself a question of whether it has other options left," the article says. "Realistic and reconciliatory diplomacy would be the best option."

"Europe and Switzerland should have supported China’s initiative put forward in May," the article continues. "China and Brazil are suggesting a format that gives equal opportunities to the parties to discuss a ceasefire and, eventually, peace. Permanent neutral status for Ukraine should apparently become the starting point."

In May, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the special adviser on international affairs to the Brazilian presidency, Celso Amorim, jointly issued a six-point consensus stating that "dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way out of the crisis." The two countries proposed convening "at a proper time" an international peace conference with "equal participation of all parties as well as fair discussion of all peace plans."

In September, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated that Moscow welcomed the Sino-Brazilian peace initiative. In turn, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky sharply criticized the plan of Brazil and China to settle the conflict, describing it as destructive.