"Any real talks must include all parties… Although Ukraine is the biggest victim, we must get Russia involved in this process if we really want peace," the Brazilian envoy was quoted as saying by G1 news website.
The two-day gathering brings together security advisers from some 30 countries, including Ukraine, its donors and neutral states. The Ukrainian presidential office said it expected the forum to endorse Kiev's "peace formula."
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said this week that some countries would try to use the forum to build a coalition against Russia, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian presidency would scrutinize the event for clues on its goals.