The BRICS summit comes to New Delhi this week at a time when conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East continue to cast shadows on the global economy and aggravate geopolitical tensions. India, which will host the September 12-13 meeting of the bloc, has taken a broadly consistent position across these crises: conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, civilians should be protected, and channels of communication should remain open. New Delhi has held to its own policy choices despite Western pressure, most visibly over its continued purchases of Russian oil. At the same time, it has maintained engagement with both Moscow and Kiev, and with countries on different sides of the conflicts in the Middle East. The approach is in line with India’s long-standing emphasis on strategic autonomy – helping New Delhi retain the ability to make foreign policy decisions based on its own interests rather than aligning automatically with any geopolitical camp. How is India engaging with Russia and Ukraine?Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized this stance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek last week, saying conflicts “cannot be resolved on the battlefield” and that dialogue and diplomacy are the way forward. He delivered essentially the same message to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the summit. Modi discussed conflicts in the Middle East and the Black Sea region and reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy were necessary to resolve them. He also said the world had to move from “endless war to the end of war, which is in humanity’s interest.”
Days later, S. Jaishankar was in Kiev – on the other side of the conflict line – for the first standalone bilateral visit to Ukraine by an Indian foreign minister. The two sides discussed international peace efforts and possible Indian involvement in efforts to end the conflict. India has, meanwhile, continued buying Russian oil despite Western pressure. Speaking in Kiev, Jaishankar argued that restricting oil purchases would not itself resolve the conflict.
“This conflict will be solved by dialogue, by diplomacy, by negotiation,” he said, adding that New Delhi respected Ukraine’s perspective on Russian energy and expected India’s position to be respected as well.New Delhi has stuck to the same approach at the United Nations. India abstained in February on a Ukrainian-backed UN General Assembly resolution calling for an immediate, complete, and unconditional ceasefire.What is India’s position on the conflict in the Middle EastIndia has taken a similar approach to the Middle East conflict triggered by US-Israeli attacks on Iran.When Modi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Bishkek, he expressed concern over escalating tensions and reiterated that issues should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
He also stressed another priority for India: keeping sea routes open. Modi called for freedom of navigation and commerce and said civilians and civilian infrastructure, including commercial shipping and seafarers, must not be harmed. The issue has direct implications for India, whose energy supplies and trade depend heavily on maritime routes through the region.
On Israel and Palestine, New Delhi continues to support a negotiated two-state solution. Modi reiterated that position in July, saying India backed “the pursuit of lasting peace.” Much of the same language has been carried into BRICS discussions: dialogue, civilian protection, sovereignty, international law, and maintaining safe maritime commerce.What does India’s “diplomacy first” foreign policy give it?India’s pragmatic, diplomacy-first positions at BRICS, the SCO, and the UN have helped it avoid taking sides. Its emphasis on diplomacy has given it room to make its own foreign-policy choices.However, New Delhi has not shied away from calling out terrorism. At the SCO summit, Modi called it a grave threat to humanity and urged members to dismantle networks of financing, recruitment, radicalization, and safe havens. He also said there should be “no double standards” in combating terrorism.As BRICS leaders gather in New Delhi, India’s ability to act as a calming presence amid rising geopolitical tensions will be highly valued.
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