Is India trying to mediate between Russia and Ukraine to end the ongoing conflict between the two countries? National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will travel to Russia next week for the BRICS meeting and media reports stated that the Russia-Ukraine issue is on top of his agenda. Doval’s visit to Moscow comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to both Russia and Ukraine in the past two months. Surprisingly, reports of Doval’s visit to Moscow coincided with the statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni who underscored India’s capacity to resolve the conflict that began in February 2022. India is looked upon as a suitable peacemaker given its close relations with both Moscow and the West.
During his talks with the Russian President in July, Prime Minister Modi said that there is no solution on the battlefield and added that peace talks do not succeed amid bombs, guns and bullets. Earlier last month, Modi travelled to Ukraine and during his meeting with President Zelenskyy, Modi called dialogue the only solution to the conflict in Ukraine. Shortly after his visit to Ukraine and a meeting with President Zelensky, Modi held a phone call with Putin on August 27. During the conversation, Modi shared insights from his visit to Kyiv and emphasized India’s commitment to resolving the conflict through diplomatic and political means.
The proposed visit by Doval to Russia is crucial amid the fact both Russia and Ukraine intensified attacks on each other, which triggered the danger of further bloodbath in both nations. During his visit, it is expected that he would pitch ideas that could lead to peace. On September 5, Putin said that he was in touch with India, Brazil, and China on the Ukraine conflict. “I have no doubt that the leaders of these countries that we have relations of trust and confidence with one another will be really interested and provide a helping hand,” he said. Putin’s remarks came in response to a question on possible countries that can act as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine.
Doval’s upcoming trip to Moscow will be closely watched as it reflects India’s growing diplomatic influence and commitment to fostering peace in one of the most significant geopolitical conflicts in recent times. Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met in Istanbul in the first weeks of the war, but those talks could not make any headway. On the ground, the situation remains bleak with both sides opening up new fronts. India has often spoken about the importance of respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty of nations. However, it has maintained that it won’t jump in to mediate if both the warring sides are not involved. Now that both Russia and Ukraine want mediation by India, the initiative can start.
