Modi’s Trip To Kiev Proved India’s Principled Neutrality In The Ukrainian Conflict
India has always advocated for peace.
India is the world’s most populous country, the Voice of the Global South, and the fifth-largest economy, so its stance on international issues carries weight. That’s why Modi’s trip to Kiev was so significant since it proved his country’s principled neutrality in the Ukrainian Conflict. Instead of taking sides, India has always advocated for peace, to which end Modi urged Zelensky to partake in “sincere and practical engagement between all stakeholders” in an allusion to Russia according to their joint statement.
The problem though is that Zelensky initiated his US-backed invasion of Kursk two weeks before Modi’s visit despite knowing that he wanted to facilitate peace talks. That threw a wrench in the Indian leader’s plans since Putin subsequently ruled out any talks with Ukraine so long as it continues targeting civilians and threatening nuclear power plants. Former Indian Ambassador to Russia and incumbent Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University Kanwal Sibal also criticized Zelensky’s arrogant attitude towards India.
Even so, India might still supplant China’s envisaged role in the peace process, at least according to what Zelensky implied. He said that “Modi’s visit was historic. I very much need your country on our side, not balancing between the US and Russia…It's not about your historical choice, but who knows, maybe your country can be the key in this diplomatic influence. That's why I'll be happy to come to India as soon as your government, Prime Minister will be ready to see me…PM Modi wants peace more than Putin.”
To be sure, it’s wishful thinking on his part to imagine that India will take Ukraine’s side over Russia’s since it’s committed to multi-aligning between all countries, but this still shows that Ukraine finally recognizes India’s global influence. That was already earlier implied when Zelensky insulted Modi for hugging Putin during his trip to Moscow earlier this summer, which was undiplomatic and extremely rude but nevertheless showed that Modi’s words and actions on behalf of India carry a lot of weight.
Upon Russia’s capture of Pokrovsk, which will throw Ukraine into a military-strategic dilemma as explained here, Zelensky might request Modi’s diplomatic services for exchanging messages with Russia like the media reported that the Indian leader had offered to do. Whether it would be about swapping Ukrainian-controlled territory in Kursk for Russian-controlled territory in Kharkov, recommencing peace talks, or whatever else, the point is that Modi has Putin’s ear and can call him any time.
It's premature to predict when that would be, the context in which it could occur, and the details of their conversation, but observers would do well to remember that whatever India does carries weight as mentioned in the introduction so its diplomatic intervention will be meaningful whenever it happens. The US would also prefer for India to play a role in this process since it doesn’t want its systemic Chinese rival to achieve the diplomatic victory that would follow bringing those two combatants back together.
Russia might also not want to be diplomatically indebted to China either, especially as their pricing dispute over the Power of Siberia II gas pipeline remains unresolved, so it too might prefer India playing this role instead of the People’s Republic. The convergence of American and Russian interests in this regard would bode well for the success of whatever India ends up doing, whenever that may be, thus shifting the diplomatic dynamics of the incipient non-Western peace process away from China.
Dear Mr Korybko
I read your analysis (blog) to get Reasoned, Well-thought Perspectives and the Comments on them as well, for the same reason.
Sometimes the comments describe Germans, sometimes Japanese, sometimes American and so on. Most often they are informative - describing what people - not MSM - think.
So it is with much distress that I see the White-Racist / Colonial invective and Lies being hurled at Hindus and Indians by 'Ebear' in the comment section.
Comments which Any Reasonable person will see are completely Racist, unhinged and Victim-blaming / Victim-shaming.
(These comments are No different than the Racist Invective by the Ukrainians that you describe here as 'Reprehensible" https://korybko.substack.com/p/the-ukrainian-defense-ministrys-mockery?utm_source=publication-search)
Ebear Going as far as to Smear Indians for The Nazi culture of the Germans - instead of blaming Germans for borrowing and appropriating a Hindu Symbol of Good for the German Racism and Nazism.
I quote:
<I>"L... where do think the Nazis got the idea of Ayran supremacy or inferior races from? They even got their swastika from you. Hell, it's even in your music.."</I>
What kind of Racist mind blames Indians - who were suffering until 1947 from British Racist Colonialism for what German Nazis were defeated in 1945?
Whitewashing of Nazi Crimes by blaming them on Indians - who were suffering Famine caused by Europeans, and even fighting the Nazis - the first victories on European mainland being via Indian soldiers!
Would Anyone in their right mind Tolerate such comments?
How, in Good Conscience can you let such comments and commenters stand on your blog?
I don't know why Modi would wander into the snake pit called Ukraine when he presides over his own snake pit at home. Probably to burnish his flagging image, post the 2024 elections.
I normally don't cite Wikipedia as a reliable source, but in this case they got it right.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narendra_Modi
If you examine Modi's party, with its overt policy of Hindu nationalism, the similarities to Ukraine jump out at you, so maybe it's not so strange after all. The idea that Modi is a man of peace however, is absurd on its face given the policies and actions of the BJP over the years.
As for BJPs recent poor showing, this may have had something to do with it:
https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-opposition-leveraged-caste-constitution-shock-modi-election-2024-06-14/
and the issue at stake is well explained here:
https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2021/04/dalit-born-life-discrimination-and-stigma
India is anything but a peaceful nation, what with its constant incitements to sectarian violence and its hostility towards its most important neighbour. Granted Pakistan plays a role in that impasse, but India bears at least half the responsibility for that.
I could go on and on and on about how India fails the smell test as representative of a peaceful culture where minority (including women's) rights are respected, but I'll just let the abundant record speak for itself.
I put it down to a defective culture. What other explanation can there be when you have a religion that historically discriminates against a major part of its congregation right down to the present day? Is there anything more absurd than a religion that counts the Dalits as part of the congregation, yet won't allow them to even enter a temple, and to whom it was forbidden to teach the language of the Holy Books?
The Congress Party banned the caste system and provided opportunities for lower caste Indians, but old habits die hard. Take for example the dilemma a friend of mine faced several years ago. A devout Sikh, when it came time to name his new daughter he chose the surname Kaur, which is the female version of Singh. His parents wanted their family name appended to that, which is against Sikh doctrine which disavows caste. Their reason was typical of many Sikh families where appending family names is done to indicate caste. Recidivism at its finest. Then there's the lie so often told that Hindus were forced to convert to Islam at the point of a sword. Possibly true of the upper castes, but lower caste Indians saw an opportunity to escape the oppression of Brahmanism, and so converted willingly to Islam or Christianity, both of which uphold the doctrine of equality of all before God. That's one of the reasons Muslims are hated in India BTW. Because they're seen as apostate Hindus.
Granted India is a major player on the world stage and has to be acknowledged as such, but to portray them as a nation of peace guided solely by humanitarian principles is just a bit beyond the pale.