Jubilee Post News & Views
ASHISH
Amidst the chaos in Europe over Russia invading Ukraine, the world has been divided into
three camps; frst, siding with Ukraine, second, with Russia and third are the fence sitters who
are primarily driven by pragmatism of their respective foreign policy. India so far has been in
this third camp.
Unforeseen has happened, Russian troops are on the borders of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv and Russia so far is not showing any signs of buckling up. Its adamant on its position that its sphere of in”uence should not be diminished under the garb of NATO. The apprehensions of Russia regarding United State’s reaching to its fringes militarily are not entirely unfounded, given the hostilities both sides have seen during the cold war regime.
Toeing the line of morality
International media, civil society groups and various sovereigns have nudged India to take the moral high ground so that the top leadership can ask Russia to desist its misadventure in the region. India so far has been sitting patiently and watching the entire episode keenly.
Its one ofthe few countries which has started the evacuation program (Operation Ganga) for its citizen in the con”ict zone. Ukrainian ambassador in New Delhi couple of days ago tried persuading the PM citing a quote from Mahabharata to intervene and ask its Russian counterpart to retreat.
Alongside there has been major pressure from international journals and western camp for India to take a stand on the issue. And all this is happening like a blitzkrieg leaving little room for South Block to look into nuances of the entire con”ict.
How South Block should react
Foreign policy of any country looks forward to advance its own interests in the international arena. India should carefully gauge its position vis-à-vis Russia and Ukraine.
It should remember that Russia is still a major exporter of its military hardware and the defense ties of the two countries have evolved to a great deal of maturity whereby both the countries are together having joint ventures pertaining to supersonic Brahmos cruise missiles and Sukhoi jets which are of vital importance for India given it is surrounded by not so friendly neighbors.
Above all Russia (erstwhile USSR) over the period of past seven decades has been an all-weather ally. It stood with India even during the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war when the west sided with Pakistan.
Also, India should keep in mind Ukraine’s role in UNGA where it has consistently voted against Indian interests when it came to India’s nuclear program. Despite not being a UNSC member then, it issued separate statement paper condemning ‘Operation Shakti’.
West alongside Ukraine remained silent over Chinese incursions into Indian territory and Galwan asco. In doing so west was primarily driven by its own geopolitical interest and not idealism alone. China being an important part of western global supply chain averted the condemnation of thewest in international forums.
Hence India should walk the path of strategic autonomy and be pragmatic while dealing with the episode. While keeping our foreign policy regime embedded to Panchseel doctrine, the diplomatic response should also re”ect the geopolitical and geostrategic reality.Way AheadIndia does not have any locus standi in the region.
So, it should cautiously gauge its position and should avoid getting into the con”ict so that the local European crisis should not snowball into a global one. At the same time being a responsible regional power aspiring to be a global one in coming decades, which eventually it would be, should make judicious use of back-channel diplomacy to bring peace to the region.
It should nudge the west and primarily United States alongside the two parties (Russia and Ukraine) to come forward for a peace talk so as to di=use the ongoing tension in the region. NATO and United States should also be considerate towards Russian security interests and should and a middle ground which can give a room to Russians to retreat.
It should nudge the west and primarily United States alongside the two parties (Russia and Ukraine) to come forward for a peace talk so as to di=use the ongoing tension in the region. NATO and United States should also be considerate towards Russian security interests and should and a middle ground which can give a room to Russians to retreat.
Unlike India, they have skin in the game and being a strategic partner to United States and other major NATO players India should walk the talk through its skillful diplomacy.World peace as of now is of utmost paramountcy amidst the covid crisis which the world is going through. In addition to taking million lives across the globe,
the covid saga has retarded the pace of human growth and gravely impacted the peace and prosperity across continents. Global community cannot a=ord the wrath of another continental war translating into a global one. It has seen the deadly outcomes of the two world-wars in the past century and should learn from the history.
