BEAR HUGS ON BOTH SIDES OF BATTLE LINE

Modi's visits to Moscow and Kyiv show India is one of the few nations with direct access to both sides. The approach will be crucial for any peace effort

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi visited Poland and Ukraine for a day each last week. Knowing the reality of the situation in Ukraine, no one expected the moon from the visit. Nevertheless, it was an event that raised India's international status and deserves full analysis for the initiative at a difficult juncture of geopolitical events. It may be correct to state that while the world looks at an early end of hostilities, a ceasefire and potential resolution, the efforts towards that goal have at best been transactional and without impact. Therefore, a reality check at this stage would be helpful.

In November 2022, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a 10-point peace plan. This plan has formed the basis of most peace efforts of the Western world, but obviously favours Ukraine. A Russian two-point proposal is at the heart of President Vladimir Putin's plan, which Ukraine has rejected outright. This involves the withdrawal of Ukraine's troops from the territories of four oblasts-Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The second aspect is the core issue: Putin wants Ukraine to officially abandon plans to join NATO. None of these issues have seen serious discussion at the four or more peace conferences that have been largely Westernoriented. Russia, anyway, was not present at any of them.

In light of this impasse, how should one look at PM Modi's visit to Kyiv? The West has responded cautiously to the visit, with the US using diplomatese in terming it "potentially helpful".