With Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting Ukraine, the clamour for India playing peacemaker in the long festering Russia-Ukraine conflict has returned. Opinion pieces in print media and talk shows on television are discussing that it is opportune time New Delhi makes a serious bid to broker negotiations to scale down the war which, if not stopped, is slated to engulf the entire world.

Modi will travel to Ukraine from his present station Poland on Thursday night by train. It will be the first ever visit of an Indian PM to the country after its formation following the split from the Soviet Union. It coincides barely two months after Modi toured Moscow. There was no clarity whether PM Modi will be visiting Ukrainian capital Kyiv given the increased spate of hostilities from both the sides.

Modi’s trip to Russia had drawn stern criticism from Ukraine and public expressions of displeasure from the United States. It was perhaps then that India’s foreign policymakers charted the PM’s visit to Ukraine to balance India’s ties across both the spectrums.

This sense of balance has actually raised the expectations that India could actually pave a larger road of dialogue and diplomacy to help end the conflict that has been raging since February 2022.

Commentators have suggested that even if “it’s near to impossible, India must give it a try and broach brokership.”

The Russia-Ukraine war has escalated to a devastating stage with Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region and Kremlin’s vehement blowback. Since the West is downright behind Ukraine and seeks to see the hostilities linger till Russia capitulates, only countries like India can push for peace.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has spoken about using his military’s territorial gains inside Russia for a land and prisoner swap, and to create a buffer zone between the warring neighbours. But Russia has denied any proposal for talks at this stage. This however can be a moment for PM Modi to grab to propose dialogue which may not have any role for the West and could make both the neighbours cease fire for the sake of populations on both sides of the border.

New Delhi can also seek negotiations for easing of claustrophobic sanctions against Russia by the western nations if Moscow agrees for halting its offensive.
India has already shown the world how such sanctions could be bypassed. It has shifted its supply lines and dramatically upped subsidised oil purchases from Russia when its regular supplies used to come from the Middle East. In a matter of two years, 40 percent of India’s crude oil requirements are being met from the Russian Urals. Before February 24, 2022, India used to buy just 1 percent of its needs from Moscow.

Now, Russia is India’s top oil supplier. Purchases from Russia have helped India save $10.5bn.

India’s Case for Peace Brokership

Since the Russia-Ukraine war broke out, India has been consistently calling for restraint and an end to fighting. PM Modi exhorting both the sides with his often quoted appeal “this is not era of war” is invoked by world leaders to insist that all man-made conflicts of the world must end to prepare humankind for cumulative fight against natural calamities.

The prospect of India mediating to help end the war in Ukraine has also been raised in diplomatic circles from time to time.
As PM Modi makes a landmark visit to Ukraine, it will be historical opportunity for India to step up, build on its non-aligned heritage and become a global peacemaker and is a chance for Modi to prove that India can be a fruitful mediator and play the role of a ‘Vishwa Guru’ in Warzone diplomacy.
During his meetings with President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on several fora in recent years, PM Modi has assured them that India was “ready to support the cause of dialogue and diplomacy to find solution to the conflict.” Now, as the moment has arrived, India must put its foot down.

There is actually a hopeful case for India’s mediation. Both Russia and Ukraine are dependent on India in many ways. While Russia remains the most coveted friend of India and vice versa, Ukraine too seeks to enhance its bilateral engagement with India.

The Ukrainian leadership wants to coordinate with India on security issues and hopes for greater Indian involvement in efforts to end the war. Ukrainian diplomats have made it clear time and again that their country envisages a “bigger engagement and greater involvement” for India in efforts to end the war.
Some commentators have said that India is best suited to mediate peace in the conflict as India is close to President Putin, President Zelenskyy and even to the White House. PM Modi along with External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar can just facilitate a dialogue between both the parties to talk to each other involving other diplomats and leaders of the world.
India was impressive in playing the presidency role for the G20 to help nations come together to help restore the “Global Peace and United Nations Credibility”. India has no record of invading any country in its history and has the promotion of peace as key philosophy of its civilisational ethos.

The United Nations needs to work out a negotiated ceasefire plan on priority, near acceptable to both the warring nations.

The UN should take the initiative to encourage PM Modi to take a lead role to initiate a dialogue between the two parties with the positive support of the UN.

Challenges are aplenty in this exigent task of brokering peace. But once it is accomplished, the world will owe India a forever gratitude. A war begets no winner, except the one who puts pause to it.

(The Author is Freelance Journalist and Expert in Geopolitics)