Ukraine summit to open in Switzerland, seeking path to peace

(ANSA-AFP) - BURGENSTOCK, JUN 15 - World leaders were set to join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday for a summit on peace in his country. But without Russia in attendance, it is being seen as merely a first step in a long process. Switzerland, which is hosting the two-day gathering at the luxury Burgenstock mountain resort, has sought to temper expectations, framing the event as laying the groundwork for a path to peace, with future summits envisioned involving Moscow.
    But in a combative speech on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin slammed the conference, and demanded that Kyiv effectively surrender before any actual peace negotiations. Zelensky branded Putin's demands a territorial "ultimatum" reminiscent of Nazi Germany's dictator Adolf Hitler, while NATO and the United States also immediately rejected the hardline conditions. "What we need is not a dictated peace but a just and equitable peace which takes into account Ukraine's (territorial) integrity and sovereignty," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told broadcaster ARD before heading to the summit. (ANSA-AFP).