Indian Express Editorial Analysis
21 February 2025
India can ensure Ukraine at the table
(Source – Indian Express, Section – The Ideas Page – Page No. – 13)
Topic : GS2 : International Relations
Context
The United States and Russia are holding high-level negotiations over Ukraine’s future without Ukraine’s participation, raising concerns about historical injustices and great power dominance.
Ukraine’s Exclusion and India’s Partition
- The ongoing negotiations between the United States and Russia regarding Ukraine’s future, without Ukraine’s participation, echo painful historical experiences for India.
- The scenario starkly reminds India of the colonial arrogance exhibited during its own Partition in 1947.
- Britain, in its hasty withdrawal, arbitrarily drew borders without considering the human and geopolitical implications, leading to long-term strife and suffering.
- For India, Ukraine’s exclusion represents not just a diplomatic oversight but a deep historical injustice.
- The recurring theme is clear: powerful nations continue to determine the futures of smaller states, disregarding their sovereignty and right to self-determination.
Lessons from History: Peace Without Justice Is Temporary
- India’s historical perspective underscores that peace agreements lacking justice only serve as temporary solutions.
- The article draws attention to former US President Donald Trump’s “peace deal” with the Taliban in Afghanistan, which effectively became a withdrawal agreement.
- This led to the collapse of Afghan democracy and the erasure of two decades of progress, especially affecting women, minorities, and dissidents.
- The parallel drawn to Ukraine suggests that Trump’s concessions to Russia — which reportedly exclude Ukraine — are not genuine peace efforts but geopolitical surrenders.
- Such an approach rewards aggression and violates international law, potentially destabilizing Europe and undermining the very concept of positive peace.
India’s Empathy: A Shared Struggle for Sovereignty
- India’s history of fighting for sovereignty and dignity resonates with Ukraine’s current struggle.
- The Indian independence movement aimed to reclaim self-determination from imperial powers that viewed India merely as a strategic pawn.
- Today, Ukraine finds itself in a similar position — fighting for its existence as a sovereign state and for its people’s right to live without fear.
- The article compares Britain’s careless partitioning of India to the Trump administration’s reported plans for Ukraine, where critical decisions are made without consulting the people most affected.
- For India, supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty is a matter of principle tied to its own historical experiences of colonial injustice.
India’s Strategic Role: A Four-Point Diplomatic Approach
The text outlines a pragmatic four-point strategy for India to ensure Ukraine’s inclusion in peace negotiations:
- Exercising Economic and Defense Leverage:
India’s significant arms purchases from Russia and robust trade relations with Western nations provide substantial leverage. India can condition its cooperation on a fair resolution that respects Ukraine’s territorial integrity and independence.
The Cost of Compromise: Peace Without Justice Is No Peace
- The analysis warns that any peace deal lacking justice, accountability, and strategic security is inherently flawed.
- Conceding Ukrainian territory to Russia would merely pause hostilities, setting the stage for future conflicts.
- The article draws a strong comparison with India’s post-Partition struggles, suggesting that just as arbitrary borders in 1947 sowed the seeds for Indo-Pakistani tensions, an unfair Ukraine settlement could lead to prolonged European instability.
- India’s own historical battle against colonial injustices makes it morally and strategically imperative for the nation to oppose any resolution that compromises Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Conclusion: Preventing the Return of Imperialism
- In conclusion, the exclusion of Ukraine from critical negotiations is more than a diplomatic misjudgment — it is a dangerous return to imperialist practices.
- The article stresses that allowing powerful nations to dictate the destinies of weaker ones without accountability risks plunging the world back into an era of colonial domination.
- For India, still grappling with the wounds of its own Partition, supporting Ukraine’s right to self-determination is not only a strategic choice but also a moral responsibility.
- Failure to include Ukraine could trap Europe in another prolonged period of conflict and instability, a fate that India, given its historical context, understands all too well.
- The world must heed these lessons and ensure that history does not repeat itself.