Ahead of the Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland at the weekend, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the territories annexed by his country is a prerequisite for any settlement of the ongoing war. If Ukraine also renounces membership of NATO, Russia would be prepared to cease fire and enter negotiations immediately, Putin said during a visit to the Foreign Ministry in Moscow. His speech was clearly aimed at the current G7 summit in Italy and the Ukraine event opening on Saturday in the Swiss mountain hotel resort of Bürgenstock. The affiliati…