The Biden administration recently announced that the US president will not be attending an upcoming summit in Switzerland concerning the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Instead, Vice President Kamala Harris and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will be sent to represent the United States at the conference. This decision has sparked considerable media attention, as it coincides with a pre-election fundraiser that Joe Biden is reportedly scheduled to attend in mid-June.
The Swiss-hosted gathering aims to bolster support for Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s demands related to the conflict with Russia. Notably, Moscow has not been invited to participate, while Beijing has declined to take part. In a statement released on Monday, Kamala Harris’ spokesperson Kirsten Allen confirmed that the vice president would be attending the summit in Lucerne, Switzerland on June 15th, emphasizing the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to supporting Ukraine’s efforts to secure a lasting and just peace.
Sullivan is also expected to join Harris at the conference, which will be held at the Burgenstock resort. Prior to this announcement, there had been speculation that President Biden might “stop by” Switzerland or have Zelensky come to him during his visit to Europe later in June for the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings in France and part of the G7 summit in Italy.
However, it seems that Biden will be prioritizing a political fundraiser in Hollywood, featuring actor George Clooney and expected to include appearances from actress Julia Roberts and former President Barack Obama. The event has been interpreted as an attempt by the president to maintain his popularity ahead of the midterm elections. Kamala Harris, who is not widely regarded as a political powerhouse, will be representing the United States in Switzerland alongside Sullivan.