US to meet with Ukraine war sceptics to drum up support

Senior US officials will meet with representatives of several countries that have not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine later this week in Denmark. 

The White House’s national security advisor Jake Sullivan will meet with officials from India, Brazil, and South Africa – countries that have refused to follow Western sanctions against Russia. 

Officials from China and Turkey could also attend the meeting, according to the Financial Times. 

Sullivan will be accompanied by Victoria Nuland, another notable official at the US state department and a senior EU official. Despite notable attendance, the meeting will be conducted informally, sources told FT. 

“We’re working to advocate on their [Ukraine’s] behalf with a broader range of countries than just those that show up around in NATO … or at the G7,” Sullivan said earlier this week. 

Joe Biden’s top aide will fly to Copenhagen after the conclusion of Indian PM Narendra Modi’s diplomatic visit to the US.  

The move comes on the back of Kyiv’s insistence on expanding pro-Ukrainian support, acknowledging the counteroffensive had been “slower than expected”. 

None of the developing countries invited to Copenhagen for the meeting has condemned the war Russian aggression on Ukraine.

The Copenhagen meeting will discuss potential solutions for conflict resolution, without pushing for a concrete outcome.  

While the Russia-China trade has surged in the months following the invasion, India has also emerged as a major trade ally of the Kremlin. 

Beijing released a 12-point proposed peace plan in February, but Ukraine’s allies largely dismissed it, insisting Putin’s forces must withdraw and face prosecution for war crimes.

Brazil’s president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has blamed both countries for the war, refusing to condemn Vladimir Putin. 

Other countries have also continued to help Russia to varying degrees including Turkey – a NATO member – acting as a mediator between the two warring forces.