As 10,000 North Korean soldiers mass against Ukraine, the South Koreans vows “not to sit idle” but to support Ukraine with arms. An urge to repay historic debt or to secure funds and military-upgrades has made the European conflict an Asian headache. Meanwhile, the South African countries severed ties with Ukraine to keep to some defence pledge. If Russia opens a much-anticipated second front in the warring Middle East, there will surely be a third wave of evil.
And still, amidst this chaos, India maintains her composure and balance. This strength comes from India’s strategic autonomy and multi-aligned foreign policy. The policy has ensured India leverages with Russia, Gulf countries, Israel and at the same time with Iran. These strategic gains did not button-up Indian leadership over ongoing conflict. India condemned Hamas’s attack on Israel as ‘terrorism’ and urged a peaceful resolution of conflict.
Even though a large number of citizens express religious solidarity with militants, which gives India a reason to choose neutrality and avert internal rupture, India adheres to her stand against terrorism. And yet, foreign media calls India a bystander! Although the external pressure to boycott Russia piled upon her and the internal pressure to take an anti-Israel stand jammed her streets, India abstained from the UN vote against both Russia and Israel. And maintained her call for a peaceful solution without backing any specific country.
The Western media mocked India’s policy of avoiding entanglement and blamed her post-independence neutral legacy. “India was never neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war; we are on the side of peace,” the recent empathetic affirmation by Prime Minister Modi cleared the air around India’s foreign policy and signalled the West about India’s strategic autonomy.
India’s urge to retain her sovereignty amid current volatility, her multi-alignment, and China’s anti-West sentiment are likely to have resulted in the recent India-China border detente and are expected to normalise the countries’ tie-in. The improved relations with China can boost India’s bid for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council. India’s UN aspiration, which needs the P5 members’ backing, inevitably calls for her strategic autonomy.
Recently, Russia’s neighbour Finland, which once preached virtues of peace and neutrality to the world, joined the West military alliance. Although experts contend that the expansion of NATO sparked the current Russia-Ukraine conflict, evolving security threats are making many states jump on the bandwagon. Quite the reverse, India has refused to join NATO+ and guarded friendship with Russia. The evolution of India’s foreign policy from neutral, non-alignment to multi-alignment instilled this self-confidence in India’s approach that ultimately empowered her to safeguard her sovereignty and ability to act in her best interest.
EAM S. Jaishankar explains India’s multi-alignment as “engage America, manage China, cultivate Europe, reassure Russia, bring Japan into play, draw neighbours in, extend the neighbourhood and expand traditional constituencies of support; positioning self as a ‘Vishwa Mitra’ seeking friendship with many possible.” India’s multi-aligned foreign policy is exemplified by India’s presence on various platforms with a diverse set of member countries like BRICS (a group of non-western countries including Russia and China), QUAD (a squad to counter China), SCO (a group along with Pakistan and China) and I2U2 (a group with US, UAE and Israel). India has successfully formed alliances with many countries to strengthen trade relations, military cooperation and technological collaborations not only for a better India but also for the world.
Saudi Arabia, home to one-fifth of the world’s energy reserves, has recently entered into several agreements with India for energy cooperation, and economic growth. This year, the Islamic kingdom elevated its bilateral security cooperation with India and participated in a military exercise with her for the first time.
UAE and India too, have joined hands ever more firmly by signing a civil nuclear cooperation agreement and other pacts vital for energy security, defence and safety. The safe release of Indian ex-navy personnel from Qatar who were on death sentence is yet another example of India’s Goodwill and robust diplomatic ties with the country. Gauging the country’s relevance to peace in the Gulf and its geographical importance in global trade, India is trying to foster bilateral ties with Iran without detaching herself from Saudi, UAE or Israel. India’s friendship with Russia has been historically strong. Despite the overhang of Western sanctions since 2022, their trade has doubled and both have signed diverse agreements to maintain the steadfast relationship. With Russian collaboration, India is positioning herself as a strategic player in the global nuclear landscape. Russia and India have recently agreed to export the jointly manufactured BrahMos missiles to third countries like the UAE and the Philippines to ensure multipolarism, which is vital to prevent hegemonism.
Unlike Russia-India, Indo-Israeli relations have developed in recent years. During the 1999 Kargil War, Israel emerged as a friend and ally that rushed to India’s aid with direct military support. The Israeli weaponry gave India a much-needed leg up in the high-altitude conflict with Pakistan.
The toughest times brought forth a technologically superior and reliable partner that equipped India with several cutting-edge technologies over the past 25 years. Having said that, throughout the ongoing conflicts in Russia and the Middle East, India has managed to maintain her strategic relations with each side. India has resisted any temptation to meddle or urge to return favour to old friends and strategic partners. With prudent diplomacy, India ensures stability within the country and also protects the large Indian diaspora living abroad and the flow of foreign inwards.
India’s foreign policy has significantly increased her trust level. India has emerged as an influential regional power who is ready to assist during pandemics, natural disasters and economic downturns. There is a wide acceptance of India’s position on terrorism and counter-terrorism by the major Western democracies and also by the larger Islamic world. The astonishing success of India’s evacuation missions that safely rescued thousands of Indians and foreign nationals stranded in conflict zones are the primary examples of strengthened security cooperation and the triumph of Indian diplomacy. With regular bilateral, multilateral military exercises, training programmes for foreign military and civil servants, and joint production of weapons, India has expanded her engagement and has emerged as a partner, contributor and collaborator in today’s world. India’s diplomatic pragmatism in maintaining a delicate balance between old and new partners without getting involved in regional conflicts has made India a safe spot in the sea of chaos.
(The author is a foreign affairs expert. Views personal.)
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