Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, told ANI on Thursday that India’s stand on the ongoing Ukraine-Russia crisis is “neutral”as Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
India’s statement at the UN also lacked condemnation of the Russian attack on Ukraine, and at the time of the announcement of the attack, India’s top diplomat at the UN expressed “regret” and said that the “situation is in danger of spiraling into a major crisis”.
As the US, Europe, and some African countries went after “Russian aggression and invasion,” India’s position on the issue remains neutral. However the truth is, India is in a tough spot.
With the ongoing border standoff with China, it is crucial for India to have Russia as a strategic partner. According to reports, between 2016 and 2020, India’s military imports from Russia was close to 50% while about 60% to 70 % of India’s military assets are of Russian origin.
Therefore, while India may like to portray their position as “neutral,”the Western bloc, led by the US, will not view it in that fashion.
Another concern for India is the growing ties between Russia and China, of which India is wary of and is walking on a thin line- careful of not pushing Russia too far away.
A Western backlash on Russia will also not be easy for India to deal with when it comes to the impacts of Western financial sanctions, keeping in mind New Delhi’s military purchases from Moscow, and oil prices shooting up.
The Western narrative of a geopolitical situation often masks certain realities. Though the West stresses on promoting democracy as a central piece of its foreign policy, it has always been a case of making convenient choices clothed in empty rhetoric.Their support for attempted or succeeded coups against democratically-elected governments has only weakened democratic moorings in these countries.
More than anything else, what is happening in Ukraine is a culmination of many factors, and heralds the way an international order is unfolding now. It is a debate within the Indian establishment about what to choose — principles and values on one side, and pragmatism and interests on the other side.
And, as a new conflict in the 21st century breaks out, India has a tough strategic choice to make.
Meanwhile, it is interesting to follow the latest developments unfolding in the far east as China eyes on Taiwan, an island of 23 million people about 160 kms off China’s eastern coast, self-ruled but claimed by China. The critical question for Taiwan is whether the United States, which is not sending troops to defend Ukraine, would intervene in China invaded.
-References from Indian Express and Money Control