External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s recent remark in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, signals a potentially significant shift in India’s diplomatic approach to a war.
“We have now gone beyond advocacy.” This remark made by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, signals a potentially significant shift in India’s diplomatic approach to a war that has defied repeated international efforts at resolution. It came two days after Ukraine’s Foreign Minister indicated that India had submitted a comprehensive proposal aimed at ending the conflict. The development followed a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which, according to the Russian President, Mr. Modi repeatedly raised the question of ending the war and put forward ideas on how the conflict could be brought to an end.The significance of these developments cannot be overstated. The global order has been severely shaken by conflicts in several regions, while the Russia-Ukraine war, which began in February 2022, continues with no durable settlement in sight. For India, the conflict has presented a particularly difficult diplomatic challenge. Russia remains one of New Delhi’s oldest strategic partners and an important economic and defence partner. At the same time, India’s growing stature as a major global power has placed greater expectations on it to uphold the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and peaceful resolution of disputes. New Delhi has also faced sustained pressure from Western powers, particularly the United States, to distance itself from Moscow, including through the threat of tariffs and other economic measures.
It is against this backdrop that India’s recent diplomatic initiatives deserve careful attention. They underline three important aspects of New Delhi’s foreign policy. First, India continues to favour dialogue and diplomacy over confrontation. Despite considerable pressure to take sides, it has consistently maintained that a lasting solution to the conflict cannot emerge from the battlefield alone. Second, the developments reaffirm India’s commitment to strategic autonomy. New Delhi has demonstrated that maintaining close relations with Moscow does not necessarily prevent it from engaging with Kyiv or advocating an end to hostilities. Its foreign policy remains guided primarily by its own national interests and assessment of global realities rather than by pressure from any particular power bloc. Third, India appears increasingly willing to move beyond expressing its preference for peace and contribute more actively to the search for a settlement. This is an important evolution. India’s position has sometimes been misconstrued as passivity or indifference because it has resisted aligning itself completely with either side. But neutrality, when combined with dialogue and diplomatic engagement, can provide valuable space for communication between adversaries.India’s long standing relationship with Russia gives it a channel of communication that many Western countries lack. Its growing engagement with Ukraine, meanwhile, provides an opportunity to bridge otherwise difficult diplomatic divides. This places India in a potentially useful position—not as a mediator whose success is guaranteed, but as a country capable of encouraging dialogue and keeping diplomatic options open. Yet expectations must remain realistic. The Russia-Ukraine conflict involves deeply entrenched strategic interests, territorial disputes and profound distrust. No single country can bring about peace on its own. India’s credibility will depend on the success of its diplomatic efforts to create conditions for meaningful negotiations.