India hasn’t decided on its participation level at the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, scheduled for June 15-16 in Switzerland. Expectations are that India will attend at the same level as previous senior security official and political advisor meetings held since 2022. People familiar with the matter said India would not send top leaders like the prime minister or external affairs minister.
India participated in four earlier meetings at the senior security official and political advisor level, usually represented by the Secretary (West) in the external affairs ministry or the Deputy National Security Adviser. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval attended the Jeddah meeting in 2022 but is unlikely to attend the Swiss summit.
Switzerland sent its foreign secretary Alexandre Fasel to New Delhi in May to secure India’s attendance. Fasel suggested that India and other BRICS nations, such as China and South Africa, could act as “go-betweens” between Russia and the West. However, India has expressed concerns about being part of an initiative excluding Russia, wanting to avoid sending the wrong message.
India has avoided openly criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling for both sides to end hostilities and engage in dialogue to find a solution. Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicated that India would join important summits promoting global peace and security and representing the voice of the Global South.
European partners like France see India as having a pivotal role in conveying an “appropriate message” to Russia and persuading middle-ground countries and Global South members about ending the war. The person pointed out that China watches Russia’s handling of the war closely, hinting at potential influences on China’s Taiwan policy.