No definitive talks yet on peace for Ukraine

Two key summits took place last week, one by the G7 members in Italy and a summit of over 90 countries in Switzerland. The G7 leaders took up various issues confronting global peace and order such as Ukraine, Artificial Intelligence, migration and development, Iran, the situation in Red Sea on account of Houthi raids, Chinese policies and economic security. In contrast, the Switzerland meet solely focussed on bringing peace to the war-ravaged Ukraine.

Amidst this huddling by major nations, Russia and Ukraine addressed direct peace offers from each other. Though what appeared as a clarion call for peace by both parties ended in a whimper, it did show that both were looking out for a face-saving despite their intransigent postures. However, there is no light yet at the end of tunnel. Ukraine would hold peace talks with Russia within hours if its troops pulled out of the country, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Earlier, on the eve of Swiss summit, Russian President Vladimir V Putin had said on Friday that Russia would order a cease-fire and enter talks if Kyiv withdrew troops from the four regions that Moscow claimed as its own and drop its aspirations to join NATO. This is a rather outrageous demand of outright surrender which no self-respecting sovereign nation would accept, as did Zelenskyy. Since its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Russia now controls about 1,16,000 sqkm land in Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

The Russian invasion vastly ruined Ukraine and claimed thousands of lives on both sides. As Russian forces bombarded and blockaded Ukrainian ports and imposed export curbs, global food supplies have been hit hard. Before the war, Russia and Ukraine used to account for a quarter of global wheat, and one-fifth of maize and barley exports. Ukraine was also a major exporter of sunflower, accounting for two-thirds of sunflower oil traded globally.

As an exasperated world waits for any peace signs with bated breath, to most observers, the situation essentially boils down one of western imperialism versus Russian maximalism. While one may ask what business does NATO have on Russian borders by bringing Ukraine on board, Russia has itself to blame for eyeing certain Ukraine states as its own.

As for the Swiss summit, the talks, in the absence of Russia or its close ally China, served to denounce Russia and call for more backing and aid to Ukraine to fend off the Russians. India wisely did not sign the agreement. In the case of G7, it was resolved to push more military aid to Ukraine.

As Russia stays put in Ukraine and seeks incremental expansion, besides deploying nuclear tactic missiles and even ratcheting up maritime tensions right near US mainland, the West is scrambling to bolster Ukraine defences and help it cause pain to Russia for a climbdown for talks. Till either party blinks, it continues to be a tortuous wait for the world for a return of peace. Or else, any major conflagration is an invite for nuclear holocaust, warn strategic pundits. A resilient Russian economy and volatile domestic politics in US, UK, Germany and France are emboldening him to end the war on his own terms. One also hears many Ukrainians becoming skeptical of victory and resigning to peace with Russia, addressing its NATO concerns. The growing dominance of far right in the recent EU polls also indicates war fatigue building up in many nations. The shape of things to come may unravel in next few months. Meanwhile, as the UN warned, a potential long-term global food crisis is crystallising.