Video shows death on the streets of Ukraine town at heart of new Russian offensive
NBCMay 31
Zelenskyy Urges Biden and Xi to Attend Ukrainian Peace Summit
Above: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky speaks next to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (not in the picture) during a press conference at Moncloa Palace on May 27, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. Image copyright: Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday urged world leaders — namely Pres. Joe Biden of the US and Premier Xi Jinping of China — to attend a Ukrainian peace summit that will be held in Switzerland next month.
Zelenskyy made the plea in the aftermath of a Russian missile strike on the northeastern city of Kharkiv a day earlier. At least 16 people were killed and dozens more were injured after a DIY hypermarket was struck.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Ukraine is right to be distrustful of Russia's presence at any peace talks. It knows that for Russia, such talks are merely a tool that they're willing to manipulate and later ignore to achieve their wider goals. History shows this to be the case — demonstrated when pro-Russia proxies invaded parts of Ukraine in 2014 and again in 2022 when Russia launched its fully-fledged invasion.
Pro-Russia narrative
Whatever comes out of the Ukrainian Peace Summit is null and void. How can you try to have a negotiated settlement to the war with only one side of the conflict? If Ukraine is real about bringing the war to an end, it must negotiate with Russia.