India's emerging peace initiative on Ukraine conflict reflects shift from diplomatic advocacy to interest-driven engagement: Report

New Delhi: India's emerging peace initiative on the Russia-Ukraine conflict demonstrates a calibrated shift from diplomatic advocacy to more targeted, interest-driven engagement, according to a report.

"Rather than attempting to broker a comprehensive political settlement to a war that has repeatedly defied diplomatic intervention, New Delhi appears to be pursuing a more attainable objective: limiting the conflict’s disruptive consequences for energy security, food supplies, and maritime commerce. Conveyed during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Kyiv in September, the proposal has reportedly been described by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha as the 'most comprehensive' among four international initiatives, alongside those advanced by Turkey, Egypt, and the US," former diplomat Harsh V. Pant wrote in the report in weekly current affairs and features magazine Open.

The proposal presented by India is based on three interconnected pillars - a mutual halt in attacks on energy facilities and other infrastructure, the uninterrupted movement of energy supplies and grain through the Black Sea ports, and cessation of attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea. Taken together, these measures showcase an attempt to find areas of limited convergence between Russia and Ukraine, where none of the two nations is required to make immediate concessions regarding the fundamental political and territorial questions underpinning the conflict.

India is not presenting a diplomatic formula to end the conflict but wants to establish a measure of predictability in sectors where the costs of continued hostilities affect beyond the immediate belligerents. Energy flows, food security and the safety of seafarers form practical points of engagement around which a limited understanding might be created. Reports of Russia and Ukraine's acknowledgements of India's efforts, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin appreciating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposals and the Kremlin's praise for New Delhi's readiness to contribute, indicate that India retains diplomatic space with both sides.

Since the start of the conflict, India has called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the war. PM Modi's statement, "this is not an era of war", during his meeting with President Putin in Uzbekistan's Samarkand in 2022 showcases India's effort to preserve strategic autonomy while signalling its preference for a negotiated outcome.

"India’s more recent engagement suggests an effort to move beyond advocacy towards selective problem-solving. Jaishankar’s reported conversations with both Moscow and Kyiv on Black Sea shipping, grain and energy exports, and the possibility of reciprocal non-attack arrangements point to a more operational understanding of what Indian diplomacy might realistically achieve," Pant wrote in the report.

India, however, is not taking up the role of a formal mediator. By offering practical assistance instead of mediation, India is trying to preserve diplomatic flexibility and keep its ambitions proportionate to its capabilities, according to the report.

Last month, EAM Jaishankar was on an official visit to Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Sybiha.

During his meeting with his counterpart, EAM Jaishankar reiterated India's stance that the conflict cannot be resolved on the battlefield and that solutions require dialogue and diplomacy. Sybiha briefed EAM Jaishankar on the recent developments in the ongoing conflict and peace negotiations.

EAM Jaishankar also called on President Zelensky, discussing with him not only ways to enhance India-Ukraine bilateral ties but also the approaches to end the ongoing conflict in the region.

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