On Friday, Putin said that Russia would immediately cease fire and declare its readiness for negotiations with Ukraine after Kiev withdraws troops from the territory of new regions of Russia. Other conditions for the talks included Ukraine's official statement that it abandons plans to join NATO and formalizes its neutral, non-aligned, nuclear-free status.
"Everyone knows that this [Putin's] proposal was not meant seriously, but just somehow relates to the peace conference in Switzerland," Scholz told German broadcaster ZDF when asked whether the Russian president's proposal had been discussed at the G7 summit in Italy.
The chancellor said that this was not a proposal that "would work," adding that Ukraine should have the opportunity not to sign such proposals, but instead "to act out of its own interests."
Switzerland is hosting a high-level conference on Ukraine at the Buergenstock resort outside of Lucerne from June 15-16. Around 90 countries and organizations have confirmed their participation, according to the Swiss hosts. Russia has not received an invitation, but even if it had, it would not attend the conference, Vladimir Khokhlov, spokesperson for the Russian Embassy in Bern, told Sputnik in April.