Bloomberg: US President Biden likely to miss Ukraine's peace summit

U.S. President Joe Biden will likely miss the upcoming peace summit to be held on June 15-16 in Switzerland, Bloomberg reported on May 23, citing its undisclosed sources.

According to the news outlet, the event clashes with a campaign fundraiser he is set to attend alongside, among others, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Jimmy Kimmel.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on May 22 that he cannot yet confirm Biden's participation in the peace summit.

The summit will be centered around Ukraine's 10-point peace formula, a plan first outlined by President Volodymyr Zelensky in fall 2022 that calls for a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied Ukrainian lands.

Over 60 countries have confirmed their participation in the global peace summit, including India.

Zelensky previously ruled out Russia's participation in the event, as it continues to attack Ukraine on a daily basis.

People familiar with the matter who asked not to be named told Bloomberg that Biden will attend a G7 summit to be held from June 13-15 in Italy but will fly from there to Los Angeles for the June 15 fundraiser.

Zelensky said on May 19 that he anticipates the peace summit will yield an action plan addressing three key areas: free navigation to protect port infrastructure, global food security, and Ukraine's economic development.

Additional discussions will focus on nuclear and energy security to prevent attacks on critical infrastructure, and another key point will be about the exchange of captives and return of deported children.

Zelensky emphasized the importance of involving countries from various regions, noting their influence on Russia.

"Even if they see the world differently, it is important to work to engage them because they have influence. Any kind of influence: defense – at the level of arms trade, economy – somewhere," Zelensky said.

"They have an influence on Russia. And the more such countries we have on our side – on the side of ending the war, – the more Russia will have to take it into account," he added.

Read also: Modi confirms India’s participation in Ukraine’s Global Peace Summit

We’ve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.