The two-day peace conference of 92 states including almost 60 heads of state and government and eight international organisations, which took place at Switzerland, discussed Kyiv's proposed 10-point plan to end the war along with three other themes: the nuclear threat, food security and humanitarian needs in Ukraine, concluded on 16th of this month.
However, the most ambitious attempt to forge a peace plan for Ukraine ends with unresolved declaration due to lack of full consensus. The participating heads of state and government were unable to agree on a clear approach on the question of when exactly and how Russia should be involved in future.
80 countries and four major European Union institutions the European Commission, European Council, European Parliament along with the Council of Europe signed the declaration. Several states including Armenia, Bahrain, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Suriname, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates have not signed the declaration.
The declaration censures Russia for the war in Ukraine, which has caused immense destruction and human agony, and calls for respect for Ukraine's territorial integrity based on article 2 of UN Charter. It called to return the Russian occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant under full control of Ukraine, Ukraine's access to its ports in the Black and Azov Seas, the release of all prisoners of war and the return of all deported Ukrainian children and make sure continuous manufacturing and supply of food products in Ukraine.
The document also declared any threat or use of nuclear weapons in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine is not allowed and attacks on ships and civilian ports unacceptable. Interestingly, the declaration didn't urge Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine’s territory. Following the summit, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the signatories would work in groups on the issues pointed out in the declaration as the subsequent step and when an action plan is ready to implement each point declared in the document, the second peace summit could take place. This plan could then be presented to Russia during a second summit.
Although, the summit declaration created momentum and sends a strong signal to seek peaceful resolutions, the absence of key players like Russia and China is an obstacle to progress and highlights the complexities and challenges of achieving permanent peace in the region. Their absence at the event has also led to some other nations staying away from the summit.
As well, lack of support from the BRICS countries and Saudi Arabia is a considerable factor. Brazil, India and South Africa were there, but did not come with any heads of state. Brazil attended as an observer and South Africa has sent a representative. Saudi Arabia has sent its Foreign Minister Faisal bin Fahrad al-Saud. India has sent Pavan Kapoor, a secretary level senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ukraine has hoped India will play key role in the peace summit. In the wake of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Zelensky has personally tried to convince Modi to attend the peace conference.
India has strategic ties with Moscow and huge dependence on Russia for defence supplies. Moreover, ever since the war began, India has also been buying Russian oil at discounted prices to reduce the inflation effect of rising oil prices. New Delhi is also skeptical about the central endeavor of the conference was to isolate Russian President Putin globally and convince leaders in the Global South, like Modi, to join the western effort against Russia.
Consequently, instead of these factors Prime Minister Modi decided not to attend the summit. Neither External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar nor Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra was sent to Switzerland, even though they accompanied PM Modi to the G-7 Summit in Italy. Prime Minister Modi decided to send a secretary level official Pavan Kapoor for the conference, until recently ambassador to Russia, who played a significant role for the guarantee of the continuity of military equipment supplies, joint weapon manufacturing, and oil imports from Russia. India's involvement in the summit through Pavan Kapoor signifies its diplomatic balancing act during the continuing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
India has maintained a diplomatic balancing act between Russia and Ukraine. India has consistently called for an end to hostilities in Ukraine and a return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy, though New Delhi has not explicitly condemned the Russian invasion, and at the UNSC India has taken a refined role and abstained from voting against Russia on a number of resolutions.
However, India has persistently pushed for a peaceful solution that respects Ukraine and called for an international probe into the Bucha massacre and articulated its worry over nuclear threats issued by Russian leaders. It has acknowledged the human suffering and provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
India has sent 15 consignments of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine including 117 metric tonnes of medicines, medical equipment, blankets, tents, tarpaulin, solar lamps, dignity kits, sleeping mats, and diesel generator sets. India has also offered economic support for reconstruction of a school in Kyiv and funded training of teachers.
While not a direct party to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the developing world has been hit hard by its ramifications in the global energy and commodities markets, including significant increases in the prices of oil, wheat, and metals.
International affairs experts have opinion that India has ability to speak to Russia as a trusted partner and moreover, New Delhi's non-aligned position and deep-rooted diplomatic relationships with Ukraine and Russia provide it with an unyielding basis to lead advocacy for the developing countries to solve the problem.
Experts like Harsh Panth expected that Modi's presence at the summit could help position "India as a torchbearer for the concerns of emerging economies, including the energy crisis, food insecurity, and supply chain shocks — all of which have been aggravated by the war in Ukraine."
New Delhi, jammed between Russia and Ukraine supported by the United States-led Western alliance, both of which are strategic allies for India, has send a representation of secretary level official and not signed the declaration. On the other hand, by skipping the summit and sending an official to attend it, and not by signing the declaration, Modi has sent the message that he is not siding with the western effort to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin, though India remains committed to an early peace in Ukraine through diplomacy and dialogue.
