Russia Slams Ukraine Peace Conference Plans In Switzerland As US Project

Moscow:

Russia's foreign ministry on Wednesday criticized plans to hold a Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland as a futile initiative of the US Democratic Party ahead of this year's US presidential election.

The high-level conference is to be held in Switzerland on June 15-16 and Swiss media have said US President Joe Biden is expected to attend.

"American Democrats, who need photos and videos of events that supposedly indicate their project 'Ukraine' is still afloat, are behind this," the state-run TASS news agency quoted foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying.

She accused Washington of being primarily motivated by its election process.

"The elections are everything. Ukraine is nothing," she said.

The Swiss government said Wednesday the peace conference will take place at the luxury Burgenstock resort near the central city of Luzern on June 15-16 and will be hosted by President Viola Amherd.

Russia has accused Switzerland of abandoning its traditional neutrality in the Ukraine conflict -- as well as the issue of what to do with Russian assets in the banking country.

Moscow last month summoned the Swiss ambassador over work to pave the way to seize Russian assets in the country.

Moscow has vowed to press on with its more than two-year-long offensive in Ukraine.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)