Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not expected to attend the upcoming gathering in Switzerland, according to the Hindustan Times
New Delhi has yet to decide on its “level of participation” at a Ukraine peace conference hosted by Switzerland in mid-June, but according to local media none of the country’s top officials are expected to represent India in person. Moscow has dismissed Kiev’s roadmap for ending the conflict as unrealistic because it does not correspond to “realities on the ground.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will not attend the Swiss gathering scheduled for June 15-16 at the Burgenstock Resort near Lucerne, anonymous sources told the Hindustan Times on Monday. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, who represented India at a similar meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia last August, is also unlikely to go to Switzerland.
India, which has positioned itself as the de facto leader of the Global South, has repeatedly called for an end to hostilities between Russia and Ukraine through diplomatic means. Modi said last month that India seeks to “resonate the voice of the Global South,” and “will be participating in all important summits that promote the agenda of global peace.”
At the same time, New Delhi has refused to condemn Moscow despite constant scrutiny from the West. It has criticized sanctions imposed by the US, EU, and their allies against Russia, and continues to maintain robust economic and diplomatic ties with Moscow.
While more than 160 countries have been invited to the Ukrainian-sponsored conference, many have opted to abstain or send minor officials. In particular, Kiev has largely failed to drum up support among Asian countries, the Washington Post wrote.
The Chinese government reiterated on Monday that it will not be taking part in the Swiss conference, as the conditions necessary for such an event have not been met. Pakistan will also likely skip the meeting, as it seeks to maintain its “neutrality” in the conflict, according to national media.
According to media reports, US President Joe Biden will also not be attending the Swiss event in person, preferring a Hollywood fundraiser with actor George Clooney. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky said it would “not be a particularly strong move” by Biden if he does not participate.
Moscow has been excluded from the event, which is expected to address Zelensky’s so-called ‘ten-point peace plan,’ with Kiev arguing it would have attempted to derail the talks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RT last week that it was “absurd” to hold a summit on settling the conflict without Moscow’s participation. “This conference is completely without prospects,” he stressed.
