PM Modi – OpEd – Eurasia Review

Indian Prime Minister Modi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 20, 2024, followed by a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. During the meeting with Putin, the prime minister reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy are the way forward in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

While discussing the ongoing conflict with Zelensky, Modi reiterated India's people-centric approach and again emphasized the need for dialogue. Both the Russian and Ukrainian presidents have invited Prime Minister Modi to their respective countries after the general elections here, official sources said. They said both leaders considered Prime Minister Modi a peacemaker.

Indian Prime Minister Modi, an influential global actor

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who chaired the last G20, declared: It is the time for peace and fraternity, the time to move forward together. It is a time of growth and well-being for all. We must overcome the global crisis of confidence and move towards human-centered thinking. We must look at the world in the spirit of One Earth, One Family, One Future.

The prime minister's call comes at a time when the conflict in Ukraine appears set to take a dangerous turn, after France announced it would send soldiers to fight Russian forces. The speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament has warned French President Emmanuel Macron against sending troops to Ukraine, saying they would meet the same fate as Napoleon's army. Before making such statements, Macron would do well to remember how it ended for Napoleon and his soldiers, more than 600,000 of whom were left lying in the damp earth, Volodin said, referring to the disastrous French invasion of Russia in 1812. Putin said that the West has announced the possibility of sending Western military contingents to Ukraine and the consequences for possible interventionists will be much more tragic. President Vladimir Putin has threatened to use nuclear weapons if Western powers send soldiers near Russia.

During his conversation with Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Modi said he discussed strengthening the India-Ukraine partnership and expressed India's continued support for all peace efforts aimed at bringing an early end to the ongoing conflict . India will continue to provide humanitarian assistance guided by our people-centered approach. Zelenskyy appreciated India's continued humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine, a statement said, as the two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen their bilateral partnership in various areas.

Prime Minister Modi also congratulated Putin on his re-election as President of Russia and discussed ways to further strengthen the “special and privileged strategic partnership between India and Russia”. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues.

India, the right choice, peacemaker

Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, and growing tensions in East Asia have created the world in virtual wars. In this situation, what is needed is a mediator who can persuade the parties to come to the negotiating table, who is friendly towards the two warring nations and who has the support of the Global South. India and China are potential mediators that fall into this category, but China will face U.S. opposition to its role.

Global conflict fatigue is evident in the case of Ukraine on the US-NATO-EU relationship. The three-year-old war between Ukraine and Russia has lost media and public attention. The news from Gaza and the internal problems of European countries have overshadowed it. The ongoing war in Ukraine will have no winner and will continue as U.S. attention shifts to the war in Gaza. The war in Ukraine could have ended in the spring of 2022 if Ukraine had agreed to neutrality, but Boris Johnson went to kyiv and said that we should not sign anything with the Russians and should just fight. And the war in Ukraine should not continue.

The world is now inclined to no longer view the United States as a superpower in the face of a rising China, which defends international rights and norms but values ​​its own rights and the interests of its allies. India is currently following a peaceful path amid global competition with China and Russia as well as the Global South. India, a vibrant democracy, an emerging economy and a key player in promoting South-South cooperation during its G20 presidency, is a responsible global actor, championing inclusive development, innovation and sustainable growth in partnership with other emerging economies. With these advantages, India can truly take on the role of mediator between Russia and Ukraine, as India and its Prime Minister Modi are respected by both nations and their presidents.

Can India, through the UN, G20 and others, broker peace?

The prime minister's advice for peace talks comes at a time of talk of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba's expected visit to India. Kuleba is expected to invite Prime Minister Modi to attend the Peace Summit in Switzerland next month. Ukrainian Ambassador Igor Polikha had earlier urged Indian Prime Minister Modi to intervene to defuse the Ukrainian crisis by continuing diplomacy with President Putin and helping Ukraine, as India is an influential global player.

It is pertinent to note that India has consistently called on Russia and Ukraine to end the war and choose dialogue and diplomacy. Many peace lovers wonder whether India, the land of Buddha and Gandhi, can serve as a broker for peace between the conflicting parties, Russia, Ukraine and now Israel and Hamas. These conflicts have destabilized the entire global economy and disrupted global geopolitics.

Prime Minister Modi is one of the most influential leaders in the world and maintains a privileged partnership with Russia, Ukraine, Israel as well as Palestine (India was the first to recognize Palestine). Indian Prime Minister Modi continues to approach the Russian president to begin diplomatic peace talks with Ukraine and end the war. Modi had earlier told Putin that “this is not an era of war”. Russia has always been ready to negotiate! However, the United States and NATO are not very keen on a quick dialogue with President Putin. In the interest of world peace, all stakeholders and the UN should take the lead in encouraging India to try to initiate a dialogue between the conflicting parties with the positive support of the UN. At present, Modi is perhaps the only leader acceptable to all stakeholders.

During this period, Ukrainians also had to realize that for the United States, Israel, the war in Gaza, and broader stability in the Middle East are far more important than Ukraine. And Ukrainians will be aware that it is increasingly likely that the next president of the United States will be Donald Trump, who will reach a political settlement with Russia while ignoring Ukraine and that it may be the right one moment for dialogue and the only solution to a lasting agreement. peace for Ukraine. However, Zelensky is pursuing the seemingly unreasonable goal of wanting to defeat Russia with another major offensive this year by preparing to forcibly recruit 500,000 more Ukrainians into the armed forces!

If the stated goal of the Swiss Peace Summit is to involve Third World leaders in the attempt by NATO and its allies to isolate Russia. If this is the objective, how can we call it a peace summit and how can we initiate a peace dialogue? The peace summit in Switzerland should rather be called a security summit between the United States, NATO and the EU. If the goal of the summit of NATO and its allies is to isolate Russia, then the peace summit in Switzerland will constitute a refusal of a peace dialogue.