India and Ukraine have close bilateral ties that span many different areas of collaboration. One of the first nations to acknowledge Ukraine was India. India’s government established diplomatic ties with the Republic of Ukraine in January 1992 after recognizing it as a sovereign nation in December 1991. India was the first country in Asia where Ukraine opened its Mission in Delhi in 1993 while India opened its Embassy in Kiev in 1992.
| Introduction: Give a brief context of India’s relations with Ukraine. Body: How has India’s relationship with Russia influenced its approach towards Ukraine? Conclusion: Way forward. |
Evolution of India’s Relations with Ukraine:
- Defence Cooperation: Both nations have defence cooperation with each other. Ukraine has been a major source of military technology and equipment to India like R-27 air-to-air missiles.
- Trade relations: In 2021, Ukraine exported $2.51B to India. The main products that Ukraine exported to India are Seed Oils, Nitrogenous Fertilizers, and Sawn Wood. India’s exports to Ukraine were to the tune of $694M. The main products that India exported to Ukraine were Packaged Medicament, Refined Petroleum, and Broadcasting Equipment.
- Cultural relations: The cultural relations cover aspects related to dances, yoga, philosophy, Ayurveda and spirituality. Indian students are pursuing their education in Ukraine, with a strong focus on the field of medicine. The Indian business community is primarily engaged in various sectors such as pharmaceuticals, information technology, engineering, medicine, and education.
How has India’s relationship with Russia influenced its approach towards Ukraine?
- Historical reasons: Since Ukraine was part of the USSR, India has maintained a close relationship with both Russia and Ukraine. India has respected Russia’s view of Ukraine to treat it as its immediate neighbourhood and has avoided taking sides or intervening in any conflicts or tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
- Reliance on Russia for defence items: India’s reliance on Russia for defence equipment has also made India cautious not to take any side and maintain a neutral stance on issues involving Russia- Ukraine.
- Strategic autonomy: During the Russia-Ukraine war, India refused to take a side between Ukraine and Russia and adopted a strategic autonomy approach to maximize its policy space. Instead, India pursued diplomatic activism to evacuate over 22,500 Indians and foreign nationals from 18 countries through its Operation Ganga.
Conclusion:
Various research scholars have argued that India should adopt a different policy to maintain its relations with Ukraine. They feel India relies too much on the Russo-centric view of Europe. India should be firm about the UN principle of territorial integrity, and the sovereignty of member states. India as chair of G20 can raise issues of war-torn Ukraine and help in the rebuilding of Ukraine. India should work with nations like Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Brazil to help raise the voice of the Global South in an international system dominated by the West and Sino-Russia alliance
