Can India help broker peace in Ukraine?

Delhi’s Leverage As Friend To Both East & West May Help It Press Russia To End War

In July, when a critical deal was brokered by the UN andTurkey to free up millions of pounds of desperately needed Ukrainian grain, India played an important behind-the-scenes role in helping sell the plan to Russia, which had been blockading the grain ships. Two months later, when Russian forces were shelling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine, India stepped in again and asked Russia to back off. Throughout the Ukraine war, India has quietly assisted during a few pivotal moments like these.

This week, India foreign minister S Jaishankar is travelling to Moscow for meetings with Russian officials on economic and political issues. Diplomats and foreign-policy experts are watching closely to see if India can use its unique leverage as one of the world’s largest countries that is a friend to both East and West to press Russia to end its war in Ukraine.