Ukraine Peace Summit: India opts out of Ukraine declaration with 6 other nations
Ukraine Peace Summit: India opts out of Ukraine declaration with 6 other nations
India did not associate itself with any communique or document emerging from the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has stated.
Pavan Kapoor, Secretary (West) at the Ministry of External Affairs, represented India at the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, hosted by Switzerland at Burgenstock on June 15-16, 2024. The Indian delegation attended the Opening and Closing Plenary Sessions of the Summit but did not associate itself with any communique or document emerging from this event, announced the MEA on June 16.
India's participation in the Summit, as well as in the preceding NSA/Political Director-level meetings based on Ukraine’s Peace Formula, aligned with its consistent approach to facilitating a lasting and peaceful resolution to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. India continues to believe that a sincere and practical engagement between the two parties to the conflict is essential for such a resolution, noted the MEA statement.
In this regard, India will remain engaged with all stakeholders and both parties to contribute to earnest efforts for achieving early and abiding peace, further stated the Ministry.
India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates were among the countries participating in the summit that did not sign the final communique, as per the Swiss government.
Switzerland, the host of the summit, reported that over 90 countries took part in the talks, with the vast majority signing the communique. Brazil, listed as an 'observer' in the list of attendees, also did not sign the document.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on June 16 that Russia is not ready for a "just peace," highlighting that Kyiv remains open to immediate talks if Moscow withdraws its troops from Ukraine.
The Ukrainian leader made these remarks at the conclusion of the summit, which Russia was not invited to, aimed at garnering support for Kyiv's proposals on ending the war.
"Russia and their leadership are not ready for a just peace, this is a fact," Zelensky told reporters at a closing press conference.
The final communique, agreed upon by around 80 states, reaffirmed a commitment to Ukraine's "territorial integrity" and highlighted the need for dialogue among "all parties" to end the conflict.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, initiating the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. Its forces still control just under a fifth of Ukraine's internationally recognized territory, including the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, on June 14, demanded that Ukraine withdraw its troops from the south and east of the country if it wanted the invasion to end. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned this demand as a call for "capitulation," while Zelensky rejected it as a "Hitler"-like "ultimatum."
On June 16, Zelensky reiterated the need for a full Russian withdrawal and respect for Ukraine's "territorial integrity." He stated, "Russia can start negotiations with us even tomorrow, without waiting for anything, if they leave our legal territories."
With agency inputs