Evolution of India’s position on the Russia-Ukraine War

Table of Contents☰

What’s in today’s article?

Why in news?
News Summary: Evolution of India’s position on the Russia-Ukraine War
How India’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war evolved over time?
Conclusion

Why in news?

As the Russia-Ukraine war completes a year, the United Nations General Assembly is discussing a resolution calling for the need to reach, as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.
Various countries, including Ukraine, have urged India to support a UNGA resolution timed for the first anniversary of the war.

How India’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war evolved over time?

Strategic autonomy
- For India, the Ukraine war has been an opportunity to practice strategic autonomy.
- Adopting a nuanced neutrality Delhi has maintained its relationship with Moscow and worked around Western sanctions to buy oil from Russia.
- As much as 25% of India’s oil purchase is now from Russia, from less than 2% before the war.
India’s voting at UN and its bodies

Image caption: India’s voting record

In the last year, the UN and its bodies have voted on resolutions pertaining to the Russia-Ukraine war at least 39 times: 38 times since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 and once in January 2023.
India, which has maintained a diplomatic balancing act and has walked the tightrope between US-led West and Russia, has abstained on most occasions.
More calibrated stance adopted by Delhi in the past one year
- So far, India has taken a calibrated stance based on its own national interests.
  - It had said it was deeply disturbed, but did not name Russia at all.
  - It called for cessation of violence and hostilities, which is permanent in nature.
  - It had flagged its core concern about Indian nationals. About 22,000 Indian nationals, mostly students, had had to be evacuated by special planes.
  - It called for respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, and respect for UN charter and international law.
  - It advocated diplomacy. It maintained that dialogue and diplomacy is the path forward.
- During the early phase of the war, India relied on balancing act since it needed cooperation from both Russian and Ukrainian sides to evacuate its citizens from the conflict zone.
  - After its last batch of students were airlifted by the second week of March 2022, the Indian position focussed on the other elements: respect for UN charter, territorial sovereignty and integrity.
- Although, after the Bucha massacre – in which innocent civilians were killed – India joined the western chorus in condemning the incident.
  - It even asked for an international probe.
Nukes must be off the table
- As Russian President Putin and other Russian leaders made nuclear threats, India expressed concern.
- India categorically said that no side should resort to the nuclear option.
  - Later, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief said PM Modi’s concerns about the use of nuclear weapons have had an impact on the Russians amid Ukraine war.
India and the issue of food grains
- New Delhi was approached by Ukraine and other partners to intercede when the issue of food grains being blocked by Russia was raised.
- India stepped in to convey its message to Moscow.
India & G-20 declaration in Bali
- PM Modi’s said to Russian President in Samarkand in September 2022 on the sidelines of the SCO: that “this is not an era of war”.
- This became India’s mantra, which even found its way into the G-20 declaration in Bali.
First virtual summit of the Voice of the Global South
- New Delhi’s position also evolved as it felt the impact of the rising energy prices and prices of commodities went up.
- In January 2023, India hosted the first virtual summit of the Voice of the Global South, where it raised the issue of rising prices of food, fuel and fertiliser.
- It also flagged the concerns of the developing and the less-developed world on energy and food security. This will now be the consistent theme till the G-20 summit.
India and the upcoming G-20 summit
- With a year of geopolitical turmoil due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, India — as the chair of G-20 — will face the challenge of negotiating a declaration while balancing between Russia and the West.

Conclusion

So far, India has walked on a diplomatic tightrope while maintain strategic autonomy in its decision making and promoting its national interests.
But the longer the war continues, the more pressure on India from the Western alliance to choose the right side.
- E.g., this week, Ukraine asked India to support a UNGA resolution timed for the first anniversary of the war, asking Russia to withdraw from its territory.
In this context, serious diplomatic efforts needs to be made to end the war and the upcoming G-20 presidency can be used as a platform towards this direction.

Q1) What is strategic autonomy?

Strategic autonomy denotes the ability of a state to pursue its national interests and adopt its preferred foreign policy without being constrained in any manner by other states.

Q2) Where is Ukraine?

Ukraine, country located in eastern Europe, the second largest on the continent after Russia. The capital is Kyiv, located on the Dnieper River in north-central Ukraine.

Source: One year of War in Ukraine: How India’s position has evolved over time | Hindustan Times