Ukraine Declaration At Swiss Peace Summit: India And 6 Other Nations Opt Out
- By Thetripurapost Web Desk, Buergenstock
- Jun 18, 2024
- 180
A two-day peace conference (15-16 June) was organized in Switzerland to find a way to stop the Ukraine war. Representatives from more than 100 countries and organizations participated in this summit.
On the last day, Sunday, after this peace conference, a joint statement was issued which was signed by more than 80 countries.
However, 7 countries including India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico and UAE did not do so. Interestingly, Turkey, which has often taken the side of Russia, has signed it.
The joint statement stressed on territorial integrity and sovereignty and said that peace in Ukraine will come through diplomacy.
Apart from this, nuclear security, food security and exchange of prisoners were also mentioned in the joint statement.
Italian PM Giorgio Melanie said these are the minimum conditions for talks with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the conference as the first step towards peace.
Foreign Secretary Pawan Kapoor, representing India at the Ukraine Peace Summit, said that India will continue to work with all parties to stop the Ukraine war. He said that the war will stop only when both parties are unanimous. He would like to know the stand of both parties before taking any initiative.
It is worth noting that India has been a part of the summits held earlier also to resolve the Ukraine war. Earlier, India had participated in the peace conference held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in August 2023. India was represented in this by NSA Ajit Doval. Even then India did not sign the joint statement.
Before this, India had done the same in the peace summits held in Copenhagen and Malta. India participates in every meeting related to the Ukraine crisis, but distances itself from its role in passing any resolution.
India has had this stance since the war broke out in Ukraine. India has also done so in the UNSC, United Nations General Assembly, International Atomic Energy Agency and Human Rights Council.
India's position on the Russia-Ukraine dispute has been the same from the beginning. Actually, both America and Russia are face to face in this dispute. India has remained neutral without taking any side. On one hand, India gives priority to Russia in the matter of arms purchase.
On the other hand, India's relations with America have also improved in the last few years.
If India supports Ukraine, Russia can diplomatically side with China on the China-India border dispute. Relations between Russia and China have improved further after the Ukraine war began. In such a situation, India would not want to give any opportunity to upset a close partner.
However, many experts believe that this neutral stance of India has been seen before as well. Even when America attacked Iraq in 2003, India was not with America on this issue.