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    EYE ON INDIA                                                      SEPTEMBER 11, 2026       |  The Indian Eye 10

                      Peace and Petroleum: India walks a

             careful line as West presses over Ukraine

             Jaishankar’s Kyiv visit underlines New Delhi’s effort to engage Ukraine and advocate

                         dialogue while resisting Western pressure over its Russian energy ties.

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            dom of navigation in the Black Sea,
                                                                                                                  attacks  on  infrastructure  and  global
            Kyiv / New Delhi
                                                                                                                  food security.
               ndia’s handling of the Rus-                                                                            Jaishankar pointed specifically to
               sia-Ukraine  war  is  increasingly                                                                 Indian seafarers caught up in the con-
            Ibecoming a test of its diplomat-                                                                     flict  and  the  broader  impact  on  the
            ic balancing skills. As pressure from                                                                 Global South. “Indian seafarers man
            the West mounts over New Delhi’s                                                                      ships  of  many  flags  and  have  been
            continued energy engagement with                                                                      among the unfortunate casualties,”
            Moscow,  India  is  seeking  to  make                                                                 he said, warning that disruptions to
            clear that supporting peace does not                                                                  shipping were contributing to “fuel,
            mean accepting demands that could                                                                     fertilizer and food shortage”.
            compromise its strategic or economic                                                                      This allows India to present its
            interests.                                                                                            Ukraine policy not simply as a bilater-
                External Affairs Minister S Jais-                                                                 al issue involving Russia and Ukraine,
            hankar’s  visit  to  Kyiv  on  Thursday                                                               but as part of a wider argument about
            offered a glimpse into that approach.                                                                 the interests of developing countries.
            His message was carefully calibrated:                                                                 New Delhi’s message is that the eco-
            India  is  willing  to  engage  Ukraine,                                                              nomic consequences of geopolitical
            support efforts towards peace and                                                                     conflicts cannot be ignored while ma-
            contribute to diplomacy, but it will not                                                              jor powers pursue strategic objectives.
            accept the argument that its purchase                                                                     The diplomatic balancing act is
            of Russian oil is responsible for pro-                                                                therefore visible on several fronts. In-
            longing the war.                                                                                      dia continues its strategic relationship
                The  timing  is  significant.  The                                                                with Russia, including energy cooper-
            United States has been seeking great-                                                                 ation, while simultaneously engaging
            er economic pressure on Russia and                                                                    Ukraine  and  maintaining  that  Mos-
            has considered measures targeting                                                                     cow’s invasion cannot be resolved mili-
            countries  that  continue  to  buy  Rus-                                                              tarily. It is also keeping communication
            sian oil and gas. India, one of the larg-                                                             channels open with Washington even as
            est buyers of Russian crude, conse-                                                                   potential US sanctions create pressure.
            quently finds itself directly in the line                                                                 India’s response to the proposed
            of Western pressure.                                                                                  American legislation has been delib-
                Jaishankar,  however,  sought  to                                                                 erately restrained. Commerce Sec-
            separate the two issues. Asked wheth-                                                                 retary Rajesh Agrawal described it
            er India could reduce its Russian oil   External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar pays homage to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at   as part of the US legislative process
            purchases in the event of US sanc-                                                                    and said New Delhi would not com-
            tions, he emphasised the challenge      National Botanical Garden, in Kyiv on Thursday (@DrSJaishankar X/ANI Photo)  ment  on another country’s  internal
            of  securing  energy  for  a  population                                                              proceedings. At the same time, he
            of 1.4 billion. “I think it’s also import-  requires negotiations and diplomacy.   ly be reached.     stressed that India and the US re-
            ant that all of you get the challenges   “But let me just add this,” Jaishankar   At the  same time, India is not   mained committed to advancing their
            of providing for energy for 1.4 billion   said. “This conflict... will not be solved   keeping  its  distance  from  Ukraine.   trade negotiations.
            people at a time when the world en-  because somebody is buying or not   Jaishankar’s  visit  to  Kyiv,  the  first   The message is unmistakable: In-
            ergy situation is very, very difficult,”   buying oil or alumina or minerals or   dedicated bilateral visit to Ukraine by   dia does not want the Ukraine ques-
            he  said. India,  he  added,  respects   metals or fertiliser. This conflict will   an Indian External Affairs Minister,   tion to derail its broader relationship
            Ukraine’s  perspective  but  expects   be solved by dialogue, by diplomacy,   demonstrates  that New  Delhi  wants   with Washington.
            others to respect its own.        and by negotiation.”              to maintain a direct channel with the   Jaishankar  summed  up  that  ap-
                That is the central principle be-  The statement is also an answer   Ukrainian leadership.        proach  by saying  that  India stands
            hind New Delhi’s Ukraine policy. In-  to growing Western criticism. India’s   Ukrainian Foreign Minister And-  ready to help “if India can be of any
            dia has refused to endorse a Western   position is that energy trade cannot be   rii Sybiha described India as a “global   help in any manner”. The formula-
            framework in which countries are ex-  treated as the principal measure of a   superpower”  and  welcomed  Prime   tion is deliberately open-ended. India
            pected to  demonstrate their  opposi-  country’s commitment to peace. For   Minister Narendra Modi’s call to   is offering itself as a possible contrib-
            tion to Russia primarily through eco-  New Delhi, the larger question is how   move from “an endless war towards   utor to a peace process, but is not ac-
            nomic disengagement. Instead, it has   the war ends and whether a sustain-  an  end  to  the  war”.  The  Ukrainian   cepting responsibility for resolving a
            consistently  argued  that  the  conflict   able political settlement can eventual-  side also raised concerns about free-  conflict in which it is not a party.

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