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India has come a long way, from being criticised for remaining neutral during the start of the Russia-Ukraine war to now being hailed, globally, as one of the only conceivable harbingers of peace in an uncertain and war-torn world. We have remained firm and unshakable when it comes to our non-aligned foreign policy and commitment to peace, unfazed by external noise.
This has forced the world to sit up and acknowledge our unique position as a torchbearer to help address the growing concerns of the world — genocide, food insecurity, supply chain disturbances, energy crises, etc.
So much so that Condoleeza Rice, former US Secretary of State and current Director at the Hoover Institute, Stanford University explicitly commented, while addressing the third Indus X (India-United States Defence Acceleration System Ecosystem) earlier this week, “We can’t hold India to a loyalty test every five minutes.”
She also emphasised the enduring nature of India-US ties and underscored how much Washington values its partnership with India. This was in response to a question regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent Moscow visit.
Indeed, Prime Minister Modi has just finished a highly successful trip to several Central European countries, including a landmark trip to Poland that saw the two countries’ old-fashioned bilateral relations being promoted to a “strategic alliance”.
Post the Poland visit, PM Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Kyiv, Ukraine, since they gained independence in 1991. This visit on August 23, did raise a few eyebrows because PM Modi, was seen hugging Vladimir Putin in Moscow just a few weeks ago, during a particularly violent week of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, that started February 24, 2022.
However, all doubts were cleared when PM Modi said in his official speech, alongside Ukraine supremo Zelensky, “We(India), are not neutral. From the very beginning, we have taken sides. We have chosen the side of peace. We have come from the land of Buddha where there is no place for war.”
Post the Kyiv visit PM Modi is believed to have had a telephonic meeting with Putin in which he allegedly stressed on the importance of conflict resolution through diplomatic and political means.
The Russian Embassy said, about the phone call, “Vladimir Putin shared his principled assessment of the destructive of the Kyiv authorities and their Western patrons and went on to highlight Russia’s approach to resolving this conflict.”
The Prime Minister’s office in India said in their release, “The PM shared insights from his recent visit to Ukraine. He underlined the importance of dialogue and diplomacy as well as sincere and practical engagement between all stakeholders to achieve an abiding and peaceful resolution of the conflict”.
Vladimir Putin has made his respect for India very clear by saying, “We respect our friends and partners who I believe sincerely seek to resolve all issues surrounding this conflict, primarily China, Brazil and India. I constantly keep in touch with our colleagues on this issue.”
This is the farthest that conflict resolution talks have traveled, since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war in early 2022.
It is the result of top-notch and at- the- time unconventional international diplomacy, that was perfectly executed by our country’s leadership, especially PM Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishanker.
This week Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser, is in Moscow to hold crucial talks regarding the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. While the visit has multiple goals, including the BRICS NSA meeting (the meetings of the NSAs of the 10 BRICS nations), NSA Ajit Doval is likely to carry a personal message from PM Modi to Russia’s NSA and President Putin.
After PM Modi’s meeting with Zelensky, which came right after he met with Putin, NSA Ajit Doval is sure to be in communication with Putin and his NSA, regarding taking proactive steps towards the resolution of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. NATO allies will be pushing for a ceasefire, which will be the best outcome for Ukraine, but India is sure to maintain their position as an honest and sincere mediator, when it comes to Russia.
India’s distinctive ability to have Russia’s ear as a trusted ally means that they are key to ongoing efforts to end the conflict, a fact not lost on other countries and their leaders. With Europe and its NATO allies having reached a deadlock when it comes to negotiating with Russia, world leaders are now calling upon India to help restore peace in Europe.
Italian PM Meloni said last week after she met with Ukrainian President Zelensky, that she believes India has a role to play in ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict while making her support for Ukraine quite clear.
The White House also acknowledged the relevance of PM Modi’s visits to Russia and Ukraine as “potentially helpful”. A strong U-turn from their initial whining about India’s neutral status towards the conflict.
Ukrainian ambassador to India, Oleksander Polishchuk, said reiterated that PM Modi’s visit to Ukraine was “historical” and that his voice was “very much respected all over the world”. Polishchuk elaborated, “I hope that my President, in his discussion with the Prime Minister convinced him to play a more major role as a leading nation in such peace negotiations.”
PM Modi needs no convincing. After all, how many world leaders can visit Russia and Ukraine under current circumstances and be received so cordially by both? India’s rapid ascent in the global hierarchy now calls for exactly this brand of leadership.
Unapologetic, goal-oriented, pragmatic, and steely.
India has managed to change their global perception of hobbling unsteadily on a strategic tightrope, to being a lion, now firmly in control, and in charge, that too, without compromising on ethics.
