India, 6 Others Opt Out Of Joint Statement Of Ukraine Peace Talks, Held In Russia's Absence

India, along with six other nations, opted out of signing the joint communique coming out of the Switzerland-hosted Ukraine peace summit on Sunday and said peace requires ‘bringing together all stakeholders’.

It should be noted that Russia, the other main party in the ongoing discussions aimed at ending the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian war, is absent from the summit.

The summit is being held in Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland and over 80 nations have participated so far.

India was represented by external affairs ministry secretary (West) 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,” Kapoor said.

“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 the summit,” Kapoor further added.

“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,” the Indian diplomat said.

Eighty countries jointly called Sunday for the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine to be the basis for any peace agreement to end Russia’s two-year war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the “first steps toward peace” at the meeting, and said the joint communique remains “open for accession by everyone who respects the UN Charter”.

Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates — which were represented by foreign ministers or envoys — were among those that did not sign onto the final document.

Brazil, an “observer” country, did not sign on but Turkey — which has sought to be an intermediary between Russia and Ukraine — did.

Analysts, speaking to news agencies like the Associated Press, say the two-day conference will likely have little concrete impact toward ending the war because the country leading and continuing it, Russia, was not invited — for now. Russia’s key ally, China, which did not attend, and Brazil have jointly sought to plot alternative routes toward peace.

(with inputs from the Associated Press)