India refuses to sign Ukraine's declaration at Swiss conference
Summit and Conference
5 min read
India has refused to endorse the communique issued after the end of the Summit on Peace in Ukraine. The two day Summit on Peace in Ukraine was hosted by Switzerland at Burgenstock on June 15 and 16. The summit ended with many countries supporting the territorial integrity of Ukraine and calling upon all the parties to find a lasting solution to the conflict.
Why did India refuse to sign the Communique?
India has a close defence and strategic relationship with Russia. Russia is the main weapon supplier of weapons to the Indian Armed Forces.
Russia refused to attend the Summit on Peace in Ukraine which was attended by over 90 countries from Europe, Asia,Africa and Latin America and four international organisations.. Russia said that attending the meeting was a waste of time and refused to attend the meeting.
India said that there can be abiding peace in the region if the peace solution is acceptable to both parties. India’s stand was that without the participation of Russia, there could be no peace in the region and since the communique was issued without taking into account the view of Russia, India refused to sign the communique.
India was represented at the summit by the Secretary (West) of the Ministry of External Affairs, Pavan Kapoor.
Apart from India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were among the prominent countries that did not sign the final communique.
Supporter of the Summit communique
The summit communique which called for the territorial integrity of Ukraine as the basis of peace in Ukraine was supported by over 80 countries and four international organisation attending the meet . It was supported by the 27 members of the European Union, the United States, Ghana, Kenya, Argentina, Colombia, the Philippines, Qatar and Guatemala.
Russia boycotted the meeting, while Russia’s closest ally, China, also decided not to participate in the meeting.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the meeting.
Russia Ukraine War
Russian Ukraine started on 24 February 2022 when Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his troops to Ukraine to stop Ukraine from joining the Western military alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
Since then, the war has continued between both countries. Ukraine is being supported by the western countries led by the United States. They are providing money, the latest arms and ammunition to the Ukrainian forces. They have imposed a series of sanctions on Russia and its companies to cripple its economy and its war-fighting capacity.
Despite the support of the Western countries, Russian forces have been able to capture and annexed a major part of Ukraine.
Russian Conditions For Peace
Before the start of the Switzerland peace talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled his own peace formula. He said that Russia would enter into a ceasefire with Ukraine and start a peace dialogue if Ukraine withdrew its forces from the region, which has been annexed by Russia. Russia has captured and annexed the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Putin also said that Ukraine would have to give up its attempt to Join NATO.
The Russian conditions have been rejected by Ukraine and its Western allies.
