“This is not the era of war” — Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been the first global leader to say this to the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukraine counterpart V Zelenskyy during his recent visits to Russia and Ukraine respectively within six weeks of each other.
Modi even offered his “personal help” to stop the war while he was in Ukraine on a trip watched closely by the West. In a set of fast-paced events, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will be on his way to Moscow on Monday to find the possible contours of a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. This follows Modi’s call last week with Putin, who later in a statement said India can help resolve the conflict. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said the same.
This raises a potentially realistic question: Can Modi stop the Russia-Ukraine war? Many in the Indian establishment feel the prime minister is the best-positioned leader to do so, given his equation with both Putin and Zelenskyy. Modi’s arm on Zelenskyy’s shoulder in Kyiv, or his much-criticised hug with Putin, seem a testimony to that.
An answer to this question may become clearer during the all-important trip of PM Modi to USA later this month.
‘Mission Peace’ in Modi’s US Trip
With world hostilities taking centre-stage and world peace being his biggest mission ahead, a big focus of PM Modi’s trip to the US will be ‘Summit of the Future’ on September 22-23 during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Modi will be participating in the UNGA event, rather than the General Debate where Foreign Minister S Jaishankar will speak for India. Modi’s bilateral meetings on the sidelines will be keenly watched.
As per the provisional agenda, a ‘guiding question’ for the interactive dialogues at the ‘Summit of the Future’ revolves around the heightened global divisions. “How can multilateral cooperation, based on the UN Charter and international law, be reinvigorated and enhanced to address current challenges to international peace and security, in an increasingly complex and interconnected world and in the context of heightened divisions among the Member States?” says the agenda for the Summit.
India has also swapped hosting the QUAD Summit with the US this year, and the prime minister will be traveling to Joe Biden’s hometown Delaware on September 21 to participate in the same. Modi’s twin trips to Russia and Ukraine could feature in those discussions too.
Modi’s Mantra
PM Modi has put territorial integrity on top priority. He told Zelenskyy that he carried a message of peace from the land of Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi. “Our approach is to be on the side of peace… we want to be away from war,” Modi told Zenelskyy. The path to a peace deal negotiated by Modi could lie through it.
“If there is anything that we can do, in any way, (you know) in sort of upfront or behind or supporting somebody, it is the objective that we are interested in rather than the process — we are willing to do whatever we can. Because we think continuation of this conflict is terrible for Ukraine itself, and the world,” Jaishankar said about PM Modi’s offer to Zelenskyy.
However, the challenges are many. These developments come amidst Russia claiming it has taken full control of a town in eastern Ukraine, while the latter made an incursion into the Russian region of Kursk. Five more people were killed in strikes on Sunday.
If Modi is able to achieve the unthinkable, he will truly prove that India can take the leadership role in global affairs as “Vishwamitra”.
