Must involve Russia: India avoids Ukraine summit statement

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, June 16

India attended the two-day Summit on Peace in Ukraine which ended in Switzerland on Sunday but joined a dozen other major countries of the Global South in staying away from a joint communique.

Editorial: G7 summit

“In our view, only those options acceptable to both parties can lead to abiding peace. In line with this approach, we have decided to avoid association with a joint communique or any other document emerging from this summit,” said the Indian representative at the summit and senior diplomat Pavan Kapoor.

“We continue to believe that such a peace requires bringing together all stakeholders and a sincere and practical engagement between the two parties to the conflict,” noted Kapoor, a former ambassador to Russia.

India, he explained, had joined the gathering because it shared the global concern over the situation in Ukraine and supported any collective desire to facilitate peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Besides underlining the need to involve Russia in talks on a peace formula, Kapoor also stressed the need for “sustainable resolution of the conflict”.

“Our participation in this summit and continued engagement with all stakeholders is with a view to understanding different perspectives, approaches and options to find a way forward for a sustainable resolution of the conflict,” he said in this respect.

“Accordingly, we will continue to engage with all stakeholders as well as the two parties to the conflict to contribute to all earnest efforts to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine,” said the senior diplomat.

India’s abstention from the joint communique and sending Secretary (West) in the MEA instead of Kyiv’s desire for a ministerial representation at the least comes two days after PM Narendra Modi met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the margins of the G7 Summit in Italy. “Had a very productive meeting with President Zelenskyy. India is eager to further cement bilateral relations with Ukraine. Regarding the ongoing hostilities, reiterated that India believes in a human-centric approach and believes that the way to peace is through dialogue and diplomacy,” PM Modi posted on X after the interaction.

Around 100 delegations, including 57 heads of state and government, attended the summit which aimed at initiating the process for a lasting and just peace in Ukraine. Eighty countries and four European institutions signed the final joint communique.

Besides India, other nations which stayed away from the final communique included South Africa, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Mexico, Armenia, Libya, Indonesia, Bahrain, Colombia and the UAE. All of NATO, small islands in the Pacific and Indian Ocean and countries under the US military umbrella in Asia signed the communique. India had taken a similar stand during a vote at the UN General Assembly on a resolution to end hostilities in Ukraine, saying it “lacked basic concepts” to achieve sustainable peace in the region.

All stakeholders must take part: Envoy

Pavan Kapoor, a senior Indian diplomat, has said, “We continue to believe that such a peace requires bringing together all stakeholders and a sincere and practical engagement between the two parties to the conflict.”

11 other nations too stayed away

Besides India, other nations which stayed away from the final communique included South Africa, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Mexico, Armenia, Libya, Indonesia, Bahrain, Colombia and the UAE.