Here's Why India Refrained From Signing Communique On Peace In Ukraine At Swiss Summit (image-X/ZelenskyyUa)

Joining several countries, India did not sign a joint communique for peace in Ukraine, citing Russia’s absence from the peace summit held in Switzerland.

The two-day ‘Summit on Peace in Ukraine’ conference at the Burgenstock resort witnessed over 80 countries sign the communique, which outlined that the country’s territorial integrity should be the basis for any peace agreement to end the war. Beginning on February 24, 2022, the Russia-Ukraine war is currently in its third year.

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Representing India at the summit, which concluded on Sunday, Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) Pavan Kapoor stated that India sought to explore the way forward to a negotiated settlement that necessitates all stakeholders being involved and a “sincere and practical engagement between the two parties to the conflict.”

Leading the delegation from New Delhi, Kapoor said, “Our participation in the 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.” Kapoor further added that only those options acceptable to both parties, Russia and Ukraine, can lead to peace. “In line with this approach, we have decided to avoid association with the joint communique or any other document emerging from the summit,” he said.

While Zelenskyy had asked PM Modi to attend the conference, India sent a Secretary-level official. Notably, India and Russia have close strategic ties, as the former is dependent on the latter for defence supplies.

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Apart from India, countries such as Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Thailand, the UAE, South Africa, and Indonesia, among others, decided not to sign the final communique on Sunday.

While China, Russia’s key ally, did not attend the summit, Brazil, which attended the summit as an ‘observer’ also chose not to sign the joint communique.

Out of the 90 countries that participated in the summit, 80 nations and four organisations signed the joint communique which addressed food security, nuclear safety, and the humanitarian dimension. The communique also emphasised the complete exchange of all the prisoners of war, and those deported and unlawfully displaced Ukrainian children and other unlawfully detained civilians must be returned to Ukraine.

India’s decision comes days after PM Modi held a bilateral meeting with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the G7 summit in Italy on Friday.