How Is India’s Silent Diplomacy Navigating the Russia-Ukraine War?

Jagannath P. Panda
Introduction:
The ongoing war in Ukraine has diverted the world’s attention to Eurasian politics, for the moment eclipsing the ever-volatile Indo-Pacific. The situation is extremely vulnerable in Ukraine, with essential supplies and services disrupted and thousands fleeing, as the Russian advance becomes more “brutal” and Russian nuclear forces are reportedly on high alert. The scale of displacement is “one of the biggest” within Europe since the Balkan wars. Yet there is no end in sight at the moment, though ceasefire talks have begun and the United Nations has raised about $1.5 billion for emergency humanitarian assistance.
The U.N. General Assembly’s 11th emergency session adopted a resolution demanding that Russia immediately end its invasion of Ukraine and unconditionally withdraw all its military forces. However, the measure seemed more symbolic than effective. The Asian powers, India and China, again chose to abstain: China’s official view takes into account “the history and complexity of the current crisis” and “the principle of indivisible security,” at the heart of which lie the eastward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and similar crises in its own backyard.
India’s “Explanation of Vote,” on the other hand, rests on “the totality of the evolving situation,” and said that the nation’s biggest priority is the evacuation of the stranded Indian nationals. At the same time, India has reiterated its “commitment to the principles of the U.N. Charter, to international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states” and dispatched relief and medical supplies to war-hit Ukraine.
Related Publications
-
Awaiting a Pivotal Partnership? The Case of India and South Korea
The shift toward showcasing South Korea as a proactive stakeholder in the global arena—beyond its foreign policy limitations that have thus far centered on Northeast Asian security—has unlocked the potential […]
-
Quad Plus EU: A Viable Option for the Times?
Today, the primary Indo-Pacific contest is not just about the China-US hegemony. It also involves a range of so-called “middle powers” – including Australia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, […]
-
The Dalai Lama’s Succession: Strategic Realities of the Tibet Question
Executive Summary The 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso remains one of the most recognized and beloved spiritual leaders of contemporary times. By China, he is viewed in unflattering terms, ranging […]
-
Seeking Pivotal Partnership: India and Korea
In many ways, South Korea’s release of its Indo-Pacific strategy in December 2022 not only concretized its “strategic clarity” but also revitalized the long-dormant ambition of a globally relevant Republic […]
-
Kenya and the Indo-Pacific: The Rationale for an “Outlook” and Why Kenya (and East Africa) Matters
This issue brief argues that Kenya should carefully consider promulgating an Indo-Pacific outlook given the seismic shifts in global distributions of power and the resulting great power rivalry. The future […]
-
Engaging The Indo-Pacific: Some Pointers For Europe
The regional dynamics of the Indo-Pacific Region (IPR), especially maritime security-related, are distinctly different from other regions, especially Europe. There are existential sub-regional dynamics that vary across the IPR, which […]