Enjoying good relations with both Ukraine and Russia, India is positioning itself as a force for peace. In Dossier No. 52, Priyam Gandhi-Mody explains how the Modi government has engaged with Kyiv and Moscow in recent years, maintaining a neutral stance and thus placing itself in a unique position to promote a peace agreement.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- With the involvement of allies on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India finds itself at a crossroads. While Russia has stood firmly by India in times of crisis and war, India’s growing strategic partnerships with Ukraine, the EU, and the United States continue to shape its nuanced approach to the conflict.
- India consistently calls for peace and conflict resolution off the battlefield. It recognizes the conflict’s impact on the global economy, trade, and markets, and thus its negative effects on the economies of developing nations.
- India’s push for peace is also driven by the interests of the Global South. As a result, a peace proposal offered or supported by India is likely to gain the backing of most developing economies worldwide.India is the only one of the world’s top five economies that has not taken sides in this conflict. This neutral stance is a strength and perhaps a key to achieving an acceptable solution for lasting peace in the region.
- This report outlines India’s history of relations with Ukraine and Russia, its choice of peace over violence in its own conflicts, and its nuanced position as a neutral power capable of not only proposing solutions for lasting peace but also helping to align global public opinion, particularly in the Global South, toward a solution acceptable to both parties involved in the conflict.