When India played peacemaker between Russia and Ukraine

As Russia rains down a barrage of missile strikes on Ukraine’s cities in response to the sabotage of a key Crimean bridge, India is poised yet again – as it has since the beginning of the war – to play peacemaker between the two countries.

External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Monday said Russia’s war on Ukraine “does not serve the interests of anybody,” but declined to say whether his government would support a United Nations General Assembly motion condemning Moscow’s annexation of Ukrainian territories.

Jaishankar was speaking at a joint news conference Monday with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong after a bilateral meeting at Parliament House where the Ukraine war was discussed.

“We have been very clearly against the conflict in Ukraine. We believe that this conflict does not serve the interests of anybody. Neither the participants nor indeed of the international community,” Jaishankar said.

“As a country of the Global South, we have been seeing firsthand how much it has impacted low-income countries, the challenges that they are facing in terms of fuel and food and fertilizers,” he added.

Asked if India would support the UN motion this week condemning Moscow’s annexation of four Ukraine regions, Jaishankar replied: “As a matter of prudence and policy, we don’t predict our votes in advance.”

India is a major market for Russian-manufactured weapons.

“India’s relationship with Russia had “certainly served our interests well,” Jaishankar said.

Wong said she welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s words to Russian president Vladimir Putin last month: “Today’s era is not of war.”

“As Prime Minister Modi has told Mr. Putin, this is not the time for war,” Wong said.

One of the reasons India was so heavily reliant on Russian arms was that “for multiple decades Western countries did not supply weapons to India and in fact saw a military dictatorship next to us as the preferred partner,” Jaishankar said, referring to Pakistan.

The Australian and Indian ministers agreed that differences on Russia did not undermine the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a partnership also involving the United States and Japan better known as the Quad.

“I think the Quad is functioning extremely well,” Wong said. “I think the level of strategic trust and strategic consistency amongst Quad partners is deep and firm.”p0

Also on Monday, _CNBC-TV18’_s Parikshit Luthra spoke to Sergey Dvoryanov, president of International Diplomatic Club, said “Right now, I am completely sure that all the leaders of the countries who have nuclear weapons should be in the discussion, in some peace-making process on the round table to not use nuclear power weapons. That is the main agenda.”

He added, “Regarding today’s news, of course, it’s bad news, but it’s expected from all that activity from the Ukraine side. That’s why my opinion is that we should be more smart, more patient and try mediation. For example, a global peacemaker like India is a country well placed — according to the tradition of ahimsa (nonviolent movement) — to create peace between Ukraine and Russia. I completely believe that peace can be created through negotiation and discussion.”

Let’s take a look at how India has played peacemaker since the war began:

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, asserted that there can be no military solution to the Ukraine conflict, while also underlining that endangerment of nuclear facilities could have catastrophic consequences.

During their telephonic conversation, Modi and Zelenskyy discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the prime minister reiterated his call for an early cessation of hostilities and the need to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

Modi expressed his firm conviction that there can be no military solution to the conflict and conveyed India’s readiness to contribute to any peace efforts.

He also reiterated the importance of respecting the UN Charter, International Law, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.

During his conversation with the Ukrainian president, Modi emphasised the importance India attaches to the safety and security of nuclear installations, including in Ukraine.

The prime minister underlined that endangerment of nuclear facilities could have far-reaching and catastrophic consequences for public health and the environment, the statement said. The two leaders also touched upon important areas of bilateral cooperation, following up on their last meeting in Glasgow in November 2021.

‘Now not time for war’

This came after Modi in September, on the side-lines of a regional security bloc summit in Uzbekistan, told Putin now is not a time for war, with food, fertiliser and fuel security among the major concerns of the world at present.

“I know that today’s era is not an era of war, and I have spoken to you on the phone about this,” Modi told Putin on the sidelines of a regional security bloc summit in Uzbekistan, adding that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue keep the world together.

Sameer Patil, senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), told Hindustan Times, “Modi’s phone call with Zelensky is obviously a follow-up of his comments made to Putin during the SCO Summit. This interaction seeks to capitalise on the growing military stalemate in Ukraine and hopes to burnish India’s credentials as a bridge between the two competing blocks.”

Putin said that he understood Modi’s concerns about the Ukraine war.

“I know about your position on the conflict in Ukraine, and I know about your concerns. We want all of this to end as soon as possible.”

Modi and Putin spoke on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting, whose permanent members, besides India, include China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

“Our trade is growing, thanks to your additional supplies of Russian fertilisers to the Indian markets, which have grown more than eight fold. I am hopeful that this is going to be of huge help of the agricultural sector of India,” Putin said.

In August, News18 reported that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, on a visit to Moscow, was expected to try and persuade Russia to accept a détente.

‘Chosen side of peace’

In May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said there is no winning party in the Russia-Ukraine war as everyone will lose, adding that peace and talks between the countries are the only way to resolve the conflict.

Modi made the remarks during a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.

In April, US Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney had hailed Modi for his attempt to broker peace between Russia and the US.

In an interview, Maloney told Hindustan Times, “Well, I think that right now he (PM Modi) is trying to broker a peace between Russia and America with Ukraine. I think that’s a very positive goal to have. We (India and US) have strong economic ties, we have strong peace ties, and we have strong similar values, I would say we have the same form of government.”

Writing in The Strait Times in April, ex-Singaporean diplomat Kishore Mahbubani argued that India is best suited to mediate the dispute between Ukraine and Russia because it is one of the few countries that enjoy good will in both Washington and Moscow.

In April, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in the Lok Sabha said India will be “glad” to help in bringing about a resolution to the crisis in Ukraine, as per The Hindu.

Jaishankar had stated that Russia is “a very important partner” but added that India is against the conflict.

Jaishankar also noted the the support provided by Russia, Ukraine and even Indian nationals based in Eastern Europe during Operation Ganga to evacuate Indian students from Ukraine.

“In terms of diplomacy, India continues to press forcefully for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to violence. We encourage talks between Ukraine and Russia, including at the level of their Presidents. The Prime Minister has spoken to them both in this regard. This was precisely the message that was conveyed to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov when he was in Delhi. If India can be of any assistance in this matter, we will be glad to contribute,” Jaishankar said, as per the newspaper.

“We believe no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood and at the cost of innocent lives. In this day and age, dialogue and diplomacy are the right answers to any dispute and this should be borne in mind. If India has chosen a side — it is the side of peace and it is for an immediate end to violence. This is our principled stand and it has consistently guided our position in international forums and debates, including in the United Nations,” he added.

Modi calls Putin, Zelensky

Modi in March urged Putin to hold direct talks with Zelensky in a phone conversation.

Modi urged President Putin to hold direct talks with President Zelensky of Ukraine, in addition to the ongoing negotiations between their teams.

Also in March, Modi expressing deep concern over the conflict and humanitarian crisis, had spoken to Zelensky soon after Russia launched its invasion.

At that time, Modi also said India has “always stood for peaceful resolution of issues and direct dialogue between the two parties”. Modi had also thanked Ukrainian authorities for their help in evacuating more than 20,000 Indian citizens from Ukraine.

In February, the Ukrainian envoy to India had urged Modi to intervene to help deter Putin and condemn his act of war on Ukraine.

“India should fully assume its global power. Modiji is a respected leader. India has a privileged partnership with Russia. Don’t know how many leaders Putin will listen to but it makes me believe that Modi’s powerful voice will make him listen,” Igor Polikha had said.

With inputs from agencies

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