India is not expected to send senior officials to the Ukraine peace conference being held in Switzerland later this month, national media have reported.
Anonymous sources told the Hindustan Times on Monday that New Delhi is still considering its level of participation, but neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will attend the conference, scheduled for June 15-16 at the Burgenstock Resort.
Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, who represented the country at a similar meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia last August, is also unlikely to travel to Switzerland.
Russia has not been invited to the conference and has dismissed Ukraine’s roadmap for ending the conflict as unrealistic because it does not correspond to “realities on the ground.”
India, which has positioned itself as the de facto leader of the Global South, has repeatedly called for an end to hostilities between Moscow and Kiev 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, according to the Washington Post.
The Chinese government reiterated on Monday that it will not be taking part in the Swiss conference, arguing that the necessary conditions for successful talks are not in place. Pakistan will also likely skip the meeting as it seeks to maintain “neutrality” in the conflict, according to national media.
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 has 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.