Biden intends on snubbing Zelensky`s ‘peace conference’
Date
5/26/2024 7:49:37 AM
(MENAFN) United States President Joe Biden has decided to forego the upcoming peace summit organized by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, choosing instead to attend a high-profile fundraising event in Los Angeles alongside celebrities George Clooney and Julia Roberts. The decision, reported by Bloomberg on Thursday, has stirred considerable attention as the summit is set to take place on June 15-16 at the Burgenstock Resort near Lucerne, Switzerland.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Biden will head directly to Los Angeles from the G7 summit in Italy on June 15, coinciding with the peace conference dates. Notably, Vice President Kamala Harris will also not attend the Swiss event on Biden's behalf, Bloomberg noted.
Despite being labeled as a ‘peace conference’, the summit in Switzerland will notably exclude any direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Invitations were extended to over 160 countries, excluding Russia, with an expected participation of around 70 nations. Among the confirmed attendees are German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
China has opted out of the conference, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Brazilian presidential adviser Celso Amorim jointly expressing a preference for a peace conference that includes equal participation from all parties and fair discussion of peace plans, ideally recognized by both Russia and Ukraine.
Zelensky, whose presidential term officially ended this week, is anticipated to utilize the summit to propose his ten-point peace roadmap. His plan demands a complete withdrawal of Russian forces from territories claimed by Ukraine, reparations from Moscow, and the prosecution of Russian officials for war crimes.
The divergence in diplomatic engagements, with Biden choosing a fundraising event over the peace conference, underscores the complexities and competing priorities in international diplomacy, particularly in the context of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
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