Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: India stepped up efforts to find a path to peace amid the Russia-Ukraine war, by sending National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval to Saint Petersburg, Russia.
As Doval broached the issue with his counterparts during the BRICS NSAlevel meet there, Ukraine envoy in New Delhi said his country expected India to help frame a “concrete plan for diplomacy and dialogue”.
Doval’s visit follows one-to-one talks Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently had with Russia President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visits to Moscow and Kiev. Leaders of both the warring countries expressed a desire for India to play an important role in ending the war. Other international groupings such as the European Union have endorsed the idea.
Not the era of war
Despite India’s deep strategic interests in Russia, PM Modi has cautiously decided to explore ways to prove his point that “this is not the era of war” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has publicly urged him to work towards a peaceful resolution. The US and other NATO members backing Ukraine are also realising that he has the best chance of exploring ways end the stalemate.
During his visit to Germany, India’s External Minister admitted that “suggestions have been made” for India to host a peace conference on the issue, but made no commitment on whether India would in fact forward any peace proposal of its own.
The Russia-Ukraine negotiations that took place in Istanbul in the early weeks of the war failed to make any headway, and the situation on the ground remains bleak, with both sides escalating their rhetoric and opening new fronts.
The subsequent Peace Summit held in Switzerland a few months ago also proved abortive as Russian President was not invited. India attended but refused to sign its official statement condemning Russia because it thought both sides must be brought to the table.
As India takes on a key role in the peace process, the world will be watching closely to see if Doval’s talks in Moscow can pave the way for a lasting peace. Observers of international politics agree that finding solutions that are agreeable to the warring sides would not be easy.
