Sir
India’s neutral stand on the Ukraine crisis is a diplomatic challenge for the government, given its growing relationship with the United States of America in recent times and close connection it shares with Russia for its military requirements.
As a developing nation with a large population, India sees both the US and Russia as key partners for trade, who have so far greatly contributed to India’s growth in different sectors.
The US has over the years, remained a preferred destination for Indian students to pursue their academic and professional needs, and also an ally to condemn terrorism mooted from Pakistan and other regions.
India’s age-old relationship with Russia, which remains Delhi’s biggest defence supplier, versus a strong 21st-century Indo-US partnership has prevented India from taking sides in the ongoing battle.
While QUAD countries Japan, Australia and the United States unveiled new export bans against Russia, the fourth member nation of QUAD India, refrained from imposing any such ban days after Vladimir Putin unleashed a large-scale attack in Ukraine.
India, under pressure, rather joined China and the United Arab Emirates in abstaining from a United Nations Security Council resolution that would have condemned the invasion.
US President Joe Biden, who has urged countries to take a stand against Putin, has been pressuring India and other nations to draw global support in order to denounce Russia aggressive behaviour against the erstwhile USSR region.
The Biden administration, while lauding the QUAD member nations for supporting the US, has revealed that QUAD- a cornerstone of Biden’s Indo-Pacific strategy to counter China — “could easily fray” given India’s stand.
In the past the US has often sided with archrival Pakistan due to Russia’s support for India. However, things changed with time when the relationship tilted in India’s favour post the 2001 attacks on US soil.
India has again reached a point where drawing a line is its biggest diplomatic challenge since the Cold War to either be a part of the Western Bloc or remain neutral and abstain from being a part of any of the blocks.
Daniel Rynjah
Shillong