India attends secret meeting to discuss Ukraine peace plan

Tribune News Service

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, June 28

India attended a secret conclave of over 15 countries in Denmark to plan for a peace conference in July. With the Ukrainian counter-offensive showing signs of not being able to achieve a big breakthrough, talks on the peace plan would be the next best option for the West.

The international meeting on Ukraine was held in Copenhagen last Saturday “under conditions of strict secrecy” with the participation of diplomats from Western countries, as well as representatives of Brazil, India, China and South Africa, claimed ARD, the German news agency.

Plan for ceasefire

• Denmark had started the process after the G7 summit in Hiroshima
• Ukrainian President Zelenskyy sought global support for his maximalist plan for a ceasefire with Russia
• It entailed Russia footing bill for reconstruction and walking back from the territories it has brought under its control

India apparently did not want the meeting to remain undercover, neither did Brazil. The MEA released pictures of its envoy for the meeting, senior diplomat Sanjay Verma in Copenhagen while some pro-government handles tweeted a group photo taken after the meeting. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also said his adviser was in Denmark to attend the peace meeting.

ARD said the West’s goal was to gain the support of these BRICS countries, which so far have remained neutral in the situation around Ukraine. The talks were held at the initiative of Kyiv.

Denmark would like to host a summit in July aimed at finding peace between Ukraine and Russia, but such a meeting would need engagement from India, China and Brazil, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen had said last month.

Denmark had started the process after the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who was especially flown in from an Arab Summit in Saudi Arabia, sought global support for his maximalist plan for a ceasefire with Russia. It entails Russia footing the bill for reconstruction and walking back from all the territories it has brought under its control.

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