“I presume that the forum will pay due attention to Russia’s ideas to form on the Eurasian continent a system of mutually advantageous cooperation and equal and indivisible security,” adds the president’s message, which was read at the forum by his advisor, Yuri Ushakov.

The Russian leader expressed confidence that, unlike many Western politicians who have not even wanted to study this initiative in depth, the participants in the forum will subject the proposals to a thoughtful and rational examination, and see that it stipulates the possibility of ending the conflict.

On June 14th, President Putin formulated several key conditions for starting peace negotiations, in particular, that Ukraine withdraw troops from the four new Russian territories (Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye), desist from joining NATO and maintain neutral, non-aligned, and non-nuclear status, as well as lifting all sanctions against Russia.

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