India’s Ukraine destiny: A foreign policy test

Source: The post is based on the article “India’s Ukraine destiny: A foreign policy test” published in the Business Standard on 4^th October 2022.

Syllabus: GS 2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.

Relevance: Russian war and India’s stand.

News: Recently, India abstained from a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Russia’s illegal referendums in four regions of Ukraine and calling for an unconditional withdrawal of troops from that country.

What is the present course of the Ukraine crisis?

Russia organised “referendums” on Ukrainian territory late last month. Russia claimed that it unilaterally claimed victory. Following that, Russia is signing decrees to declare the four eastern Ukrainian territories — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia—part of Russia.

How do global nations view India’s abstaining from resolution?

India has consistently maintained that the global order is based on the UN charter, international law, and respect for territorial sovereignty. However, India’s abstaining raised questions a) About India’s global commitment to nuclear disarmament and strengthening the non-proliferation order, b) India’s dependence on Russian defence supplies is limiting India from taking an independent stand.

What are the challenges faced by Russian defence production?

Why India needs to ask Russia to stop the war?

Recently, the US has indicated its disapproval of India’s position on Ukraine by excluding it from the critical Minerals Security Partnership and signing an F16 sustainment programme with Pakistan

What Russia needs to remember before escalating the Ukraine conflict?

The threat of nuclear escalation will alter the dynamics of the war in unpredictable ways. This is likely to send a political message to the US and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

What India needs to do?

It will be critical for India to craft a nuanced and consistent position on the Russia-Ukraine crisis that would establish greater credibility with its allies.