Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Ukraine, India finds itself in a position to play peacemaker in the years-long Russia-Ukraine war. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval will be travelling to Moscow this week to hold crucial discussions in this regard.
In July, PM Modi had also travelled to Russia on an official visit and held detailed discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
India, because of its independent foreign policy, finds itself in a unique position to be able to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. With Europe and its western allies (NATO allies) finding themselves in a stalemate with Russia, backed by China, India, which has maintained friendly ties with most nations, opens a thrid axis in a largely bipolar world.
“We (India) are not neutral. From the very beginning, we have taken sides. And we have chosen the side of peace. We have come from the land of Buddha where there is no place for war,” PM Modi had said during his recent visit to Ukraine.
PM Modi was received warmly both by Putin and Zelenskyy during his recent visits to Russia and Ukraine.
In his talks with Mr Zelensky that took place under the shadow of the conflict, PM Modi said India is ever ready to play an “active role” in every effort to restore peace in Ukraine and he would even like to contribute personally in ending the conflict.
Prime Minister Modi, who had already visited Russia earlier, followed up his Ukraine visit with a phone call to President Putin. “Spoke with President Putin today,” he had written on social media site X on August 27, adding that the two leaders “Exchanged perspectives on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and my insights from the recent visit to Ukraine. Reiterated India’s firm commitment to support an early, abiding and peaceful resolution of the conflict.”
Watch: PM Modi Speaks With Russian President Putin After His Visit To Ukraine
Earlier, PM Modi’s Office in the joint India-Ukraine statement said both leaders reiterated their readiness for further cooperation in upholding principles of international law, including the UN Charter.
While Russia had described PM Modi’s visit as “historic, game-changing”, Ukraine too had called the Prime Minister’s visit “historic”, saying India is “key” in the global diplomatic efforts to end the war. The United States too, praised India’s efforts, with President Biden saying, “I spoke with Prime Minister Modi to discuss his recent trip to Poland and Ukraine, and commended him for his message of peace and ongoing humanitarian support for Ukraine.”
NSA AJIT DOVAL’S RUSSIA VISIT
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s visit to Moscow comes days after PM Modi’s visit to Kyiv where he spoke with President Zelenskyy, and subsequent phone calls with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US President Joe Biden.
During the PM’s phone call with President Putin, the leaders decided that Ajit Doval would visit Moscow for peace talks, sources said. No other details regarding the schedule of this visit is known yet.
Speaking about the phone call, the Russian Embassy said, “Vladimir Putin shared his principled assessment of the destructive policies of the Kiev authorities and their Western patrons, and went on to highlight Russia’s approaches to resolving this conflict.”
Sources also said that Mr Doval will be carrying PM Modi’s peace plan which he will deliver to President Putin and discuss in detail with top Kremlin officials.
President Putin’s phone call with PM Modi and now a visit by Ajit Doval indicates that Russia is open to peace talks, signalling the end of the years-long war. President Putin had said earlier that, “We (Russia) seek negotiations based on agreed documents, not on fleeting demands (by Ukraine).”
INDIA’S RISING ROLE IN GLOBAL DIPLOMACY
Calling India a “Major geopolitical actor” in a recent interview to NDTV, former United Nations Security Council chief and ex-Singapore diplomat Kishore Mahbubani said, “How many leaders in the world can comfortably visit both Russia and Ukraine and be received warmly by both countries. Very few countries in the world. And the fact that Prime Minister Modi can do that is a sign of how India has arrived as a major geopolitical actor.”
Watch: India A Major Geopolitical Actor, Says Former UNSC Chief
Itaian PM Georgia Meloni said on Saturday that India can help resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The White House too described PM Modi’s visits to Russia and then Ukraine as “potentially helpful.”
The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine began on February 24, 2022.
