The Biden administration has confirmed that the US president will not be attending an upcoming summit in Switzerland on the Ukraine conflict, and will send Vice President Kamala Harris and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan instead.
Media reports suggest Joe Biden will be going to a pre-election fundraiser taking place at the same time as the conference in mid-June.
Biden’s travel itinerary had him scheduled to visit Europe later this week, to attend the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings in France and “part of” the G7 summit, scheduled for June 13-15 in the south of Italy.
This had given rise to speculation that he could “stop by” Switzerland or have Zelensky come to him.
Last week, the Ukrainian leader tried to pressure the US president into lending legitimacy to the “peace summit,” arguing that his absence would “not be a particularly strong move,” and would let down other world leaders who “need President Biden.”
Zelensky also claimed that anyone who missed the conference was a tool of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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