Editorial: Diplomatic balancing act

BRICS summit has enhanced India’s role as peacemaker in the changing global order

The just-concluded BRICS summit in Russia’s Kazan has helped in enhancing India’s clout to play a peacemaker role in the changing global order. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message, focusing on the need for diplomacy and dialogue to resolve the disputes, reflected a fine balancing act by India in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Modi’s strong pitch for peace, made during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, highlights New Delhi’s desire for a resolution to one of Europe’s most devastating conflicts in recent history. The Prime Minister’s stance underscores India’s role as a potential mediator, reflecting its emphasis on diplomacy and peaceful conflict resolution, while maintaining its strategic partnerships, notably with Russia. India has taken a pragmatic approach throughout the conflict and has been consistently rooting for a negotiated settlement of all disputes and immediate cessation of hostilities. India is one of the few countries that is engaging both sides of the geopolitical schism over Ukraine — the West as well as the Eurasian leadership. New Delhi’s long-held positions on non-alignment and strategic autonomy, which the NDA government has largely carried forward during the war with its abstention votes at the United Nations and refusal to accept Western sanctions, help its image as an unbiased and honest mediator. Besides, it is an important voice for the Global South and recently ensured that its G-20 presidency focused on issues like energy and food security that matter to the developing world rather than the war itself.

As the world’s largest democracy and a key player in the Global South, India’s position is unique. It maintains strategic ties with Russia while also engaging with the West. Modi’s call for peace has been consistent throughout the conflict. In September 2022, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Uzbekistan, Modi told Putin that the era of wars was over and underscored the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in resolving the crisis. A year later, during his visit to Moscow, he again spoke about the urgent need for peace negotiations, asserting that a solution to the Ukraine conflict was not possible on the battlefield, and that peace talks do not succeed amid bombs, guns and bullets. He also expressed New Delhi’s willingness to support peace efforts in all possible ways. During his recent visit to Kyiv where he met Zelenskyy, it was made clear that India was willing to play an active role in promoting peace. India’s balanced approach to international diplomacy, with open lines of communication with both Russia and Ukraine, positions it as a key player in potential peace efforts. For India, the biggest takeaway from Kazan was the meeting between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit. It came against the backdrop of an agreement on disengagement and resuming regular patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.

---