Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Ukraine, India finds itself in a position to play the role of peacemaker in the years-long Russia-Ukraine war. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will travel to Moscow this week to hold important discussions in this regard.
In July, Prime Minister Modi also went on an official visit to Russia and held detailed discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
India finds itself in a unique position of being able to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine because of its independent foreign policy. With Europe and its Western allies (NATO allies) finding themselves in a standoff with Russia backed by China, India, which has maintained friendly relations with most countries, opens up a third axis in a largely bipolar world.
Prime Minister Modi, during his recent visit to Ukraine, had said, “We (India) are not neutral. From the very beginning we have taken sides. And we have chosen the side of peace. We come from the land of Buddha where there is no place for war.”
Prime Minister Modi was warmly welcomed by both Putin and Zelensky during his recent visits to Russia and Ukraine.
In his talks with Mr Zelenskyy in the shadow of the conflict, Prime Minister Modi said India is always ready to play an “active role” in every effort to restore peace in Ukraine and that he would also like to personally contribute to ending the conflict.
Prime Minister Modi, who has already visited Russia, called President Putin after his Ukraine visit. “Spoke to President Putin today,” he wrote on social media site X on August 27. He further said that the two leaders “exchanged views on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and shared insights gained from my recent visit to Ukraine. Reiterated India’s firm commitment to support an early, lasting and peaceful resolution of the conflict.”
Watch: PM Modi talks to Russian President Putin after Ukraine visit
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi’s office said in a joint India-Ukraine statement that the two leaders reiterated their readiness for further cooperation in upholding the principles of international law, including the UN Charter.
While Russia described PM Modi’s visit as “historic, game-changing”, Ukraine too called the PM’s visit “historic” and said India was “instrumental” in the global diplomatic efforts to end the war. The US too praised India’s efforts, with President Biden saying, “I discussed with Prime Minister Modi his recent visit to Poland and Ukraine and appreciated his message of peace and ongoing humanitarian support for Ukraine.”
NSA Ajit Doval’s visit to Russia
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s visit to Moscow comes days after Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Kyiv, where he held talks with President Zelensky, followed by phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden.
Sources said that during the Prime Minister’s phone call with President Putin, the leaders decided that Ajit Doval will visit Moscow for peace talks. There is no other information about the schedule of this visit 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 highlighted Russia’s approach to resolving this conflict.”
Sources also said that Mr Doval will present Prime Minister Modi’s peace plan, which he will submit to President Putin and discuss it in detail with top Kremlin officials.
President Putin’s phone call with PM Modi and now Ajit Doval’s visit indicate that Russia is ready for peace talks, signalling an end to the years-long war. President Putin had earlier said, “We (Russia) want negotiations based on agreed documents, not on (Ukraine’s) fleeting demands.”
India’s growing role in global diplomacy
Describing India as a “major geopolitical actor” in a recent interview to NDTV, former UN Security Council chief and former Singapore diplomat Kishore Mahbubani said, “How many leaders in the world can comfortably visit both Russia and Ukraine and be warmly welcomed by both countries. There are very few countries in the world. And the fact that Prime Minister Modi can do this is a sign of how India has emerged as a major geopolitical actor.”
View: India is a major geopolitical power, says former UNSC chief
Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni on Saturday said India can help resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The White House also described Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Russia and then to Ukraine as “potentially helpful”.
The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine began on February 24, 2022.
