‘Neutral’ India is prepared to contribute to peace efforts in the Russia-Ukraine war
The war in Ukraine is now more than a month old and shows no signs of letting up. While the West has thrown its weight behind Ukraine, Russia has dug in its heels and is in no mood to call off its campaign in Ukraine. Recently, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov came to India, met our Prime Minister and briefed him on the situation in Ukraine. The Prime Minister on his part reiterated India’s stand for early cessation of violence and conveyed readiness to “contribute in any way to the peace efforts”. Modi has held phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and spoken to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy twice. But this was the first time that India openly showed willingness to be part of the ongoing peace process. India has abstained from multiple United Nations resolutions censuring Moscow, calling only for an end to violence, and has increased its oil purchases from Russia. India also happens to be part of Quad, which gives it a neutral stature. As the war progresses, it has started having implications for countries across the globe; the supply lines have been badly hit.
Apart from the economic impact, there is a clear danger of the war spilling over to other zones and even going nuclear. Russia is now discovering that its initial assumptions were not accurate enough. They have failed to dispose of Zelenskiy and to hoist a Russian flag in Kyiv. Putin knows that though Nato has not joined the war openly, its men and machines are covertly in Ukraine and giving it tough resistance. Moreover, the cost of war is escalating for Russia every day. It is projected that it has already crossed $20 billion and sanctions are making life miserable for the common man. Russia is perhaps looking for a respectable exit where it does not lose face and its terms and conditions are accepted by Ukraine; who better than a trusted friend like India for taking its case forward? In any war, legitimacy is crucial for winning it. No amount of bombarding or air raids can win you a war if you have lost it on moral grounds. Putin knows it. Indeed, if India enters the mediation, it would be good for the world and also for itself as it would leverage its stature as a neutral player in world affairs.