Indian Ambassador in Ukraine Peace Summit: Following the recent meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has agreed to send Secretary (West) Ambassador Pawan Kapoor to represent the nation at the two-day peace conference to be held in Switzerland on June 15–16. Joining heads of state and delegates from almost 100 nations is the “Summit on Peace in Ukraine,” which also includes Zelensky.
The “Summit on Peace in Ukraine” was organized at the initiative of Switzerland. However, because there had been no prior consultation, Russia had declined to take part. China declined to attend the conference as a show of support for Russia. US President Joe Biden will not be in Switzerland on June 13–15, as he is in Italy for the G-7 Summit. Rather, US Vice President Kamala Harris is representing him at the Ukraine Peace Summit.
India’s close diplomatic ties to Russia drove Prime Minister Modi to decide against attending the Peace Summit. Not sent to Switzerland, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar were sent to Italy alongside PM Modi. According to Financial express, Modi briefed Zelensky about India’s delegation to the Peace Summit during their meeting on Friday evening after they had returned to India. Modi advised Zelensky to focus on “dialogue and diplomacy” to end hostilities with Russia.
G7 Leaders gather in Italy for summit, Russia Ukraine Conflict Dominates discussions
Indian Ambassador Pawan Kapoor in Ukraine Peace Summit
After Vinay Kwatra, India has decided to dispatch Ambassador Pawan Kapoor, its most senior career diplomat, to Switzerland. Kapoor is currently employed in the Ministry of External Affairs as Secretary (West).
Kapoor moved to Moscow for about two and a half years and then came back to South Block in April 2024 as the Indian Ambassador to Russia. The Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022 happened while he was in Moscow. Before he went to work in Russia, Kapoor was the Indian minister to Israel and the Gulf States.
On Friday, Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, told people from his Foreign Ministry that a peace deal for Ukraine is “impossible” if Russia doesn’t attend the meeting.
Vladimir Putin told people from his Foreign Ministry on Friday that a solution to the Ukraine war is “impossible” without Russia’s participation at the summit. Putin laid out two main conditions for a cease-fire: Ukraine had to give up its goal of joining NATO and pull its troops out of areas that Russia had held for two years, such as Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson.
Ukraine Disapproves of Putin’s Demands
However, Ukraine has vehemently rejected Putin’s demands. Dmytro Kuleba, the foreign minister of Ukraine, rejected Putin’s offer as an “ultimatum” and declined to accept the conditions. Additionally, Zelensky has repeatedly said that unless Russian forces leave all of the occupied territory, Ukraine will not engage in negotiations with Russia.
Switzerland Summit Aims to Build Peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia
As soon as Zelensky landed in Switzerland, he stressed how crucial the meeting was to solving world issues. The global majority “will have the chance to take specific actions in areas that are important to everyone in the world: nuclear security, food security, and the return of all deported persons, including prisoners of war and deported Ukrainian children,” he said, referring to the Peace Summit.
Putin’s unhappiness with the G-7 endures as the members gather in Switzerland to discuss peace in Ukraine. He especially finds great offence in the G-7’s choice to lend Ukraine US$50 billion using funds from Russia’s frozen bank accounts and assets. Regarding the usage of Russia’s resources, Putin has promised to “not be spared”.
The conference attendance by Ambassador Kapoor represents India’s careful diplomatic balancing act given the continuous Russia-Ukraine conflict. The absence of significant players like China and Russia from the summit of world leaders seeking peaceful solutions highlights the difficulties and complexity of achieving long-term peace in the region.
