Editorial: Sense of optimism

A ray of hope finally appears on the horizon amid the dark clouds in the war-ravaged Ukraine. While there could still be many hurdles along the way, there is a certain sense of optimism surrounding a tentative, 15-point draft peace deal reportedly worked out by Russia and Ukraine. The plan involves a ceasefire and an […]

A ray of hope finally appears on the horizon amid the dark clouds in the war-ravaged Ukraine. While there could still be many hurdles along the way, there is a certain sense of optimism surrounding a tentative, 15-point draft peace deal reportedly worked out by Russia and Ukraine. The plan involves a ceasefire and an eventual Russian withdrawal if Kyiv declares neutrality and accepts limits on its armed forces, renounces its ambitions to join NATO and promises not to host foreign military bases. The proposed settlement, if agreed, could give both sides a credible way to wriggle out of the war which has already inflicted massive suffering on the people of Ukraine. However, the nature of western guarantees for Ukrainian security — and their acceptability to Moscow — could prove to be a big obstacle to any deal, as could the status of the country’s territories seized by Russia and its proxies in 2014. The emerging geopolitical developments have put the countries like India and France in key positions to push for a negotiated settlement. Both Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron have been in constant touch with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine and rooting for cessation of hostilities and returning to the negotiating table. When the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which actually translates into East-West standoff, presented a major challenge to its diplomatic skills, India did well to navigate the turbulent weather and strike a fine balance, allowing pragmatism and national interest to prevail.

Both at the United Nations Security Council and during the Modi-Putin phone call, India underlined the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations and immediate cessation of violence and hostilities. Rather than toeing the US line to hit out at Russia, India has been advocating constructive diplomacy to resolve the imbroglio. The biggest sticking point in the Russia-Ukraine talks remains the Kremlin”s demand that Kyiv recognise its 2014 annexation of Crimea and the independence of the two separatist-controlled regions in the eastern Ukraine. Though Ukraine’s constitution commits it to seek membership of NATO, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his aides have increasingly played down the country’s chances of joining the transatlantic military alliance. In a dramatic address to the US Congress, delivered virtually, Zelenskyy sought to strike an emotional chord by bringing up Pearl Harbour and 9/11 attacks while showing a video of the Russian missile attacks and shelling on Ukrainian cities. He also pleaded that Washington should do more against Russia’s brutal offensive. On its part, America has kept the door open for diplomacy, provided Moscow stops attacking Ukrainian cities and towns. Together with China, Russia now wants to reset the global order. These are terrifying times for the people of Ukraine which has already suffered a gruelling eight-year war with Russian proxies. This is not a war that Russia’s population was prepared for either.

---