GENEVA, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Switzerland said on Wednesday that it would host a high-level peace conference for Ukraine in mid-June, although Russia has made clear it will not attend.
The lakeside Burgenstock resort near Lucerne is set to be the venue for the meeting scheduled for June 15-16, where government officials from various countries are anticipated to gather.
This event, which will be organized by President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd, is a result of a suggestion made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in the past few months.
"There is currently sufficient international support for a high-level conference to launch the peace process," Switzerland's Federal Council said in a statement.
Russian authorities have said that they will not participate in discussions in Switzerland, as they believe the country has abandoned its neutral stance on the conflict.
"American Democrats, who need photos and videos of events that supposedly indicate their project 'Ukraine' is still afloat, are behind this," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was quoted as saying by the TASS news agency.
Also on Wednesday, the Swiss government announced that it plans to provide 5 billion Swiss francs (5.48 billion U.S. dollars) to support Ukraine's recovery through 2036. ■
