US Vice President Kamala Harris is set to travel to Switzerland next week to participate in a summit aimed at finding a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to the White House. Accompanied by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Vice President Harris will attend the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, scheduled for June 15-16 in Lucerne, Switzerland.
The decision for President Joe Biden to skip the summit was due to his prior commitment to a star-studded fundraising event for his 2024 reelection campaign in Los Angeles. President Biden was invited to participate by Ukraine President Vladamir Zelenskyy, and the event will feature host Jimmy Kimmel moderating a conversation between President Biden and former President Barack Obama, with special guests George Clooney and Julia Roberts.
At the summit, Vice President Harris and Sullivan will emphasize the importance of supporting Ukraine’s efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace, as stated by National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby during a press briefing at the White House on Monday. They will also highlight the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to upholding Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the principles outlined in the UN Charter.
Kirby further expressed that a possible end to the conflict could be achieved if Russian President Vladimir Putin would withdraw his forces from Ukraine. In the meantime, the United States and its allies will continue to support Ukraine in its fight against aggression.
Responding to questions regarding President Biden’s absence from the summit, Kirby assured reporters that the United States has been a strong supporter of peace in Ukraine, actively participating in all previous peace summits. He emphasized that the United States has been the most dedicated advocate of the peace deal proposed by President Zelenskyy.
It is worth noting that Russia has maintained that any peace talks involving Ukraine should include their participation, despite not being invited to the summit. President Zelenskyy, who was attending the Shangi-La Dialogue in Singapore, accused China of pressuring other countries’ leaders not to attend the peace conference, in an attempt to disrupt the summit. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba affirmed that the attempts to disrupt the summit only validate Ukraine’s approach in dealing with the conflict.
Zelenskyy also confirmed that 106 countries have confirmed their participation in the summit. Ukraine hopes that the summit will address various key areas, including energy security, the exchange of captives, the return of deported children, and global food security. Additionally, the Philippines and Singapore, which President Zelensky visited before the peace summit, will also attend the event.
Key Areas of Focus
Ukraine hopes that the peace summit will address several important areas. These include energy security, the exchange of captives, the return of deported children, and global food security. By discussing these topics, Ukraine aims to find solutions and establish agreements that can contribute to peace and stability in the region.
Additional Attendees
In addition to the confirmed participants, the Philippines and Singapore will also attend the peace summit. President Zelensky visited these countries before the summit, and their attendance further highlights the global interest in resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
The peace talks, proposed by President Zelenskyy, aim to gather international consensus on how to end the war. The Russia-Ukraine conflict, which began on February 24, 2022, has caused significant damage to infrastructure and resulted in civilian casualties in both countries. The upcoming summit in Switzerland represents an important step towards finding a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict.
