In a phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zalenskyy sought India’s support on the 10-point “peace formula” that he had proposed on his US visit last week. This was the fourth telephonic conversation between PM Modi and Zelenskyyy since 24 February when Russia invaded Ukraine. Significantly, the Zelenskyyy-Modi phone call came 10 days after Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to the Indian Prime Minister to discuss the situation in Ukraine. So, both leaders of warring countries reaching out to PM Modi seeking his advice and intervention reaffirms the fact that India has emerged as a beacon of hope for the world amid the existing volatility and uncertainty. The development also reaffirms the perception that the global community is looking at India as a peacemaker and as a powerful player in what can help achieve balance in relations between two countries.
India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj’s recent statement is quite appropriate in this context. She said that India is a big country which stands tall and proud on its own with its own relations with competing international blocs and nobody pushes it around. Zelenskyy and Putin’s outreach to PM Modi amid the on-going conflict in Ukraine underlines India’s multidimensional and independent foreign policy. The development is a testimony to the fact that the world is in fact appreciating India being able to continue to open lines of communication to Russia, Ukraine and the West as well. Amid the Ukraine conflict, New Delhi has been consistent right from the outset, unequivocally speaking that it is for peace. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in all phone calls with both Putin and Zelenskyy, has reiterated that diplomacy and dialogue is the only way through which the existing problems between Russia and Ukraine can be resolved. He always encouraged the two leaders to find a lasting solution to the bilateral problems. So, give peace a chance, and revert to dialogue and diplomacy has been the advice from the Indian leadership. India did not, at any point of time, ever criticise Russia despite being pressured to do so by the Western countries including its strategic partner the United States. Definitely, India has been on the side of peace all along. This stand of India has been appreciated by even the warring countries– Russia and Ukraine. The Western countries also appreciated India’s stand, despite sometimes expressing displeasures as the war progressed. The world watched with appreciation how PM Modi continued to speak to both sides—Russia and Ukraine. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also continued to be in touch with Moscow and Kyiv, with his inputs of advice that the negotiated settlement of the problems must be sought. PM Modi told Putin ‘this is not an era of war’. What is more significant is that it received global acceptance and was included in the G20’s recent declaration. So, India was undoubtedly among the few countries, which is speaking to both. The global community is no doubt looking at India as a responsible and mature country seeking to ensure return of peace in the conflict-stricken Ukraine. PM Modi always tried to impress upon the world community that war and escalation is not going to do good to anyone. That is the reason why both Putin and Zelenskyy made it a point to reach out to PM Modi from time to time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also conveyed India’s support for any peace efforts, and assured India’s commitment to continue providing humanitarian assistance for the affected civilian population. Now, what Russia needs to look into is the formula that the Ukraine President has put forward. Zelenskyy’s formula calls for withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, release of prisoners, restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and guarantees on nuclear safety, food and energy security. He has sought India’s intervention as well. While Russia is an important ally of India, New Delhi cannot also underestimate its ties with Ukraine where thousands of Indian students go for education. Keeping this in mind, PM Modi made it a point to discuss with Zelenskyy the opportunities for strengthening bilateral cooperation between India and Ukraine. The fact which New Delhi cannot really ignore is that about 20,000 Indian students returned from Ukraine this year after the outbreak of war.